Learning to Let Go
by TNWanderer
Summary: S1ED Arabian AU. Rin and Haru live in a half-desert continent where water is the most precious commodity. Rin is a healer and Haru is a merchant from different kingdoms. Both are wandering the desert and other kingdoms with their friends, hiding their true identities. But destiny brings them together and their lives change forever. For the better or for the worse, you'll see...
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **First Free! fanfiction. Some technical explanations might be boring but bear with me here as I am trying to build a realistic world and logical background for the events. This has a slow build up, so the fic will be quite long.

**Haru/Rin** (in this order, yes), rating will change, warnings will be added as the story goes. Everyone will show up eventually. I'll use Japanese suffixes like _-san_ and _-chan_, and _Senpai_ because their absence sounds really off to me in the dialogues. You'll see _Bey/Beyim_ and _Aga_ often. Both words are honorifics along the lines of Lord/My lord and Sir. There will be explanations of some unknown words at the end of the chapters. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1**

Nanase Haruka had two distinct memories dug deep into his psyche from when he was growing up into a young boy: The existence of a merciless sun and the cruel absence of water.

His grandmother, who was the most respected elder of the country, tried to shield him from the harsh reality but Haruka could hear it everywhere and could see it wherever he turned his eyes. He knew it like he knew his name and he felt it in the morrow of his bones.

There was no rain but only the eternal glare of the sun.

The image of that yellow globe, so high above, so majestic and unattainable was stuck burned behind his eyelids, ran through his veins and filled up his core, nestling in the core of his very essence. It was indelible. So much so that, he felt the deepest thirst, the most boundless desire for water like no other could and no one should. His chest hurt, his head swam with the vastness of his longing, but there was no water to quench it, no words to describe it, and no one was wise enough to understand it.

Yet there was something worse than that voracious thirst.

People condemned him. Even though he was their prince, they judged him severely. They said that he was cursed, that he was a punishment sent from heavens to Shalbatana. Since the day he was born, it was rumored that not even a drop of rain fell to the capital city, the clouds passing by above the dried up earth without mercy, going up to the north. The sun blazed in an insatiable fury upon the charred earth. It was so bright, so scorching, and so indomitable in its unchanging deadly beauty. It was their god, they worshiped it, and they revered it and honored it, wishing it would grant them life and prosperity on their lands. But even the once fertile lands were slowly turning arid and barren.

River Arda, which was their source of life, was unable to resist the red glare of the sun, either. The water was diminishing; Arda's flow rate was declining year by year because rain did not fall. The snow water coming from the mountains where Arda was born was not enough to resist the unruly sun that reigned over Shalbatana. And people were whispering about how Haruka was the reason of it, how cursed he was, how damned the people and the lands were to become because their destiny was intertwined with a measly child who did not even knew how to control his own thirst.

"You are the sun!" They were saying. "You control it. Tell it to have mercy upon us!" Even the servants were beseeching him when his father and mother didn't look, whenever he was walking around the palace, whenever someone found him alone. "Tell it to give us life, not take it, Prince!"

Haruka didn't know what to do, didn't understand what the others were saying, why the people were both blaming him and fearing him.

How could he be the sun?

The sun was up there, illuminating everyone, even Haruka. How could he command something so awe inspiring, so grand and deadly and far away with this small fragile body of his? How? Why was he held responsible of all these sadness, desperation, calamity and devastation? He didn't do anything bad. He really didn't.

He could only look on as the land died, taking the people along with it. And knowing that your very existence was deemed the cause of it was the greatest torment a child could ever taste.

"He should be taken away." The Elders were saying, fear and respect in their eyes as Haruka gazed up at them, not understanding why people dreaded him so much. "He is unbalanced now, his thirst is so insatiable that it burns him and in return he burns the lands." The mages were telling. "He should wander around, should never stay somewhere for too long. Until we find a way…" They were bowing to him. "Until he finds his balance..."

It was decided.

No matter how much his mother cried, no matter how much his grandmother protested, nobody cared or listened. Even his father, the king, was powerless against the decision of the Elders. Their kingdom was dying and the king could never let his sole child be targeted for it. Haruka was to leave.

Haruka did not remember much about how he left the palace, how in secrecy he was taken out of the capital city, Behram. He was entrusted to two men who were about his father's age. They were Beys, people of high esteem and status in the palace. His father trusted them. One of them was named Tachibana, the other was Hazuki. They were good people. They did not fear him; they did not treat him as if he was cursed. They talked to him and told him about their own kids, promising him that he'd meet them as soon as possible, that they'd be good friends.

Haruka believed them. He was thankful to them for helping keep his mind away from the devastated faces of his mother and father and that solemn, sad look that his grandmother had. He knew that he wasn't going to see any of them for a long time. Yet at least now, Haruka thought that they were going to be alright and hopefully rain would fall and make everything better.

He was wrong. He did not see the rain.

For miles and miles down to the southwest, they rode. They saw famine, drought, depravity and hopelessness in as many cities and as many villages that they passed. The sun was standing up above them like a guardian, sentencing them to witness how lands turned mad in want of a drop of water. Haruka felt himself going brittle like a little twig.

Illness was everywhere. People were dying both because of the famine and because of having nothing to keep up the hygiene. Cholera and dysentery were becoming common and deadly. They had to do something about it, but Haruka didn't know what other than the thing that was drilled to his mind; that he was the reason of it and he had to go away to end it.

So he went away.

After they were out of the country, they stopped in a village belonging to the country of Qenaan in the southwest. This country was partially situated on the Great Desert but Haruka was thankful that here in this part of it there were no intimidating dunes or irritating sand around. The country was arid but not as much as how Shalbatana had been when they had left it. At least, people could grow grains and herd camels here. More importantly, there were several little brooks around that could be used for irrigation. And the children were certainly happier.

Haruka hoped that rain was falling in Shalbatana now, and as if in answer to his prayers, a messenger coming from the country reported rain. He had never felt that much relief in his entire short life ever.

But soon after they had passed the border of the country, Haruka fell ill.

Neither Hazuki nor Tachibana understood what was wrong. Haruka was rubbing at his eyes and involuntarily crying under the bright light of the sun. The whites of his eyes were irritated, tiny veins visible and he had trouble keeping them open as if there was sand in them. The adults were disturbed by the turn of the events. They were always on the go, so finding a healer to understand what was wrong with their prince was nearly impossible.

Haruka was in pain. He had never thought before that keeping his eyes open would be such a painful experience. But he loathed not being able to see, he feared it greatly. Even though everybody hated how the sun nailed them down into the acrid earth, he loved looking up at it, he loved the fiery red impression that it left behind his eyelids. But, _ah_… His eyes hurt so much, his eyelids felt so crisp like paper, sandy, and hot. Leaving them open hurt, closing them felt like they scraped over his eyes. He hurt, he hurt so much and with that, his thirst grew.

They couldn't stay in that village for long because, Haruka's presence made itself known quickly. Wherever the boy went, it was as if the humidity in the air vanished without even a sliver of it left. The Beys realized that the more tormented the boy was, the harsher the weather turned and the madder the sun blazed. All they could do was moving and hoping to find someone before their prince went blind with the worsening condition that his eyes got. They even considered returning back to their own country instead of wandering lost at the edge of the desert like this. But with the condition that the prince was in, with the rains that began to shower their homeland as soon as the boy had left, people would surely stigmatize the prince and believe that their claims were proven true.

_"The prince is cursed; even his eyes are going to be taken, look. He is drying up like the sun itself!"_

They could practically hear the damnation that was to come and the idea was never uttered again. The boy was already going through more than a human could stand. They had to find a way because Haruka could no longer keep his eyes open in the day light. The boy tried to keep himself from rubbing at his eyes, but it was a fruitless effort as the itch was too strong and agonizing to bare. Rheum collected around the lids in an unnatural and excessive way, the upper lids were swollen and red, hot to the touch. All they could do was to wash them as regularly as they could, using their precious water to sooth Haruka's agitation even for a bit.

Haruka was afraid. Never before, not even when he had to leave his home and family behind that he had felt such a fear. He was scared of losing his sight. His eyes became the bane of his existence and torment in such a short amount of time that he couldn't remember how things escalated from mere irritation to not being able to open his eyes at all.

But as time passed and as they traveled, things only got worse. He developed a fever that didn't seem to go down no matter what the two Beys did. They were in their fifth month of travel and Haruka had been ill for more than a month now. Even though they knew that their prince was practically exiled from his country, his condition was worsening in an alarming way. They had to reconsider their earlier idea of returning. But what if someone targeted his life for coming back? One would think that nobody would be crazy enough to lay a hand on someone who was considered as the sun itself, but… A hopeless man had nothing to lose when desperation dictated survival against all costs. And their prince refused to return.

Haruka rejected the idea of going back in such fervor that the Beys were astonished at his stubborn and unshakable decision. He told them just to not stop until they'd find someone to heal him, until someone would come along and end his misery.

Soon after a week, Haruka was reduced to spend most of his time as half delirious with a wet cloth covering his eyes like a blindfold, on horseback. They were traveling deep into the more populated parts of the Qenaan country, milder in weather and richer in water.

They stopped at a large village on the outskirts of Shari, Qenaan's capital city in the north. An elder woman checked Haruka and told them that the ailment in his eyes was a contagious one and it was a miracle how the adults hadn't contacted it yet. She prepared things to relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation but told them that she couldn't cure it completely. But Haruka was ready to settle even for a moment's respite from the torment that he was going through.

Well into the third week of his fever, he believed that he was slowly going crazy. He was seeing young girls. Even though his eyes were closed, he was seeing young girls following him wherever he went, giggling at him, trying to touch him, dancing around him. They looked as if they were made of gold, so brilliant, so beautiful and energetic. Their hair flew around them as if spun from the sun rays, intricate, ephemeral, and so stunning. They were talking to him animatedly with hopeful looks on their faces but he could only watch.

The Beys found lodging in an earthen house, doing everything the elder woman had advised them. But the fever did not go down. The prince could open his eyes now even though it stung horribly, but he was telling them that he could barely see. Tachibana was worried that the fever would impair the already abused eyes of their charge, because Haruka's gaze was cloudy and empty.

Of course the two Beys didn't know what Haruka was seeing even when he couldn't open his eyes, whenever he could collect himself enough to think through the slow burn that was his fever.

The girls were telling him things even though he couldn't make out a word. Wherever they walked they seemed to create a map of golden threads and he was amazed and afraid that his finger tips were connected to the threads that the girls were weaving with their small feet. He felt like a pitiful spider that was caught in his own web. His insides felt charred as if no water could ever redeem him from his ashes again.

He thought that dying was quite a harrowing affair.

As Tachibana kept in contact with the messengers and looked after Haruka, Hazuki didn't sit around, either. He searched and looked for someone in the city, seeing that their prince was about to boil in his own blood. The little boy was half conscious and no longer spoke to them, no longer ate or even heard them. Hazuki wished that they could counsel with the mages of their country but there was no time for that. He rode his horse from inn to inn, asking and hoping.

Maybe by a miracle, maybe by the hand of destiny, Hazuki found someone. The people in a small tavern told him about a healer who was able to heal all the sick within a week before he left for the next town a day before. _It was unbelievable_, they'd say. _He can really cure anything!_ And all Hazuki needed before he rushed back onto the road was to know where the healer was headed to.

He rode his horse so hard to reach the healer that Hazuki pitied the animal, but it paid off. He found two men around his age who were traveling with a boy towards the village that Tachibana and their prince were staying at. Approaching the sinister looking guys was a feat. One of them had such a shock of rust hued red hair that he looked like a fire demon; the other had steely teal eyes, sharpened like knives. He told them their story, told them that their charge was ill, that people were talking about the healer who could cure anything. The two men seemed ready to dice him into pieces, doubtful, but they came with him since they were eventually headed there either way.

Hazuki wondered which of the men the famed healer was. Both of them looked as fierce as it got. He hoped that whoever the healer was, he really could be of some help because, he couldn't think of an alternative where they'd lose their prince. The men talked little and the boy with them had a wistful look about him as if he missed something, as if he wished to be somewhere else. Hazuki realized that the emotion played in those eyes was the same as their prince had whenever he thought that no one looked. Now the prince's eyes were vacant on the mere occasion that they opened.

Hazuki had spent five days in search and in returning back to the village and when he invited the other men in, Haruka was a ghost of his earlier self. Not that the boy had been any good before he had left but this was too much. He shared a meaningful look with Tachibana who was sitting besides the prince, one hand buried in his _khalat_, in case something would happen.

"An elder told us that the condition in his eyes is contagious, please be careful." Hazuki sat at the foot of the bed and nodded towards the other boy, indicating that they should keep the child away. But astonishingly, the boy approached and sat beside the bed and smiled sweetly.

"Don't worry, please. I'll be alright." He pushed up his sleeves and leaned on the prince who was mumbling incomprehensible things in his fever frayed sleep. "This is bad…" The boy's brows furrowed. "The condition in his eyes looks like trachoma. He kept rubbing at them, didn't he?" He asked, his eyes looking older than his body was. Tachibana numbly nodded and Hazuki watched him with a slackened jaw. "He must have caught it from someplace where there is little water but are large herds. How long has he been like this?"

"A-about two months for his eyes, three weeks for his fever..." Hazuki answered, still disbelieving. "But, wait, wait, wait… Is he the healer?!" He asked to the teal eyed male in utter surprise and a little belittling tone in his voice.

The teal eyed male nodded from where he stood by the entrance. "He _is_ the healer." He enunciated with a serious posture.

"But… How? Are you trying to swindle us?" Tachibana looked as rattled as Hazuki felt but he was still ready to draw his sword if it was needed.

"Gentlemen…" The fiery haired man intervened, his countenance exuding calmness and authority. "Just let him have a look at your charge."

"Yes, it is as he says…" The boy began to talk without tearing his eyes away from his patient, serene and to the point.

"He'll go blind if this is not treated." He declared, wiser than his years. "Bring me boiled water quickly. Let's clean his eyes a bit."

Hazuki got up and went to do as he was told.

"I need some cloths. Clean pieces. If there is none, boil some in water and bring them, too."

Tachibana was the one who took up the task.

"And one more thing…" The boy stopped, for the first time looking up at the adults. "What is his name?"

"Haruka..." Tachibana answered, witnessing how learning that brought a huge smile on the boy's face.

Haruka woke up to the sound of his name being called as if coming from a far away dream. He concentrated on the voice, trying to move, but it was impossible to twitch even a finger. Yet the voice persisted. It was a beautiful voice, hearing it was clearing Haruka's mind. It belonged to a boy and all of a sudden, forgetting his torment, Haruka wanted to open his eyes and see him. The desire was so strong that when he finally managed to crack his eyelids a bit, he cried in pain and disappointment, because all he saw was a bluish light and the girls. They danced around the light and Haruka spent every bit of his energy to see past the light and find out who the owner of the voice was.

"Good! That's very good, Haruka!" The other was commending him, his voice cheerful, so happy. For a moment, Haruka resented that happiness. Here, he was in so much pain, he was going crazy, and he was boiling and blistering. What was to be cheerful about it? Yet the other's voice was like an anchor and despite his irritation, he held onto it dearly.

"Now then… I know it's hard but open your eyes further, Haruka, open them and look up at me."

_Ah…_ He wanted nothing more than being able to do that. But he couldn't. There was only light. Frustration gnawed at his insides and he tried to move, asking for water, repeating the demand like a mantra.

He felt a soft touch under his head, "Here…" But then… "Ow!" The voice recoiled after its owner let him go. "You are burning! How can anyone be alive with this fever?" The boy's bewilderment was so strong that it even made Haruka flinch, his breath laboring further as if there wasn't enough air.

"Isn't it normal? He is running a fever." Another voice, it was Tachibana-san and another touch, a bigger hand.

"You can touch him?" The boy asked, astonished. "It is... It is like he is melting! He is burning like the sun."

And there was silence after that comment, as if it had been a condemnation. But Haruka wanted that hand to return. It felt cool for a moment there. He wanted the feeling back.

"How can someone run a fever like this for weeks yet still survive…" It was not a question, the boy was murmuring to himself in utter disbelief.

"Alright, alright... Bring it near." Sound of water and then the touch returned, wet and cool and life giving and taking Haruka's breath away like he had never breathed before.

"Calm down, Haruka… Calm down…" The boy was cooing to him and Haruka loved to hear that tone.

"Pour water over us." The other ordered and Haruka started to violently shiver when his body was drenched slowly.

"Open up." And the next moment he was drinking the most delicious and the freshest water that he had ever drunk, mending him deep inside.

"Slowly… There, there… Slowly, Haruka…" There was a smile in the boy's voice and the water finished all too soon.

"Give me a piece of cloth." But without a warning, agony captured him. His eyes were being wiped at; the lids were being coaxed open. And surprisingly, he started to trash, reaching up to the boy who was holding his head and upper body to him and grabbed at him wherever he could. His touch made the other cry in pain but the skin was so cool, so life giving that Haruka couldn't stop himself. He burrowed to the other as much as humanly possible, his grip vice like. "Water, pour water over us!" The smile was gone from the voice and the arms that held him were trembling, but Haruka was far beyond from registering the pain he was inflicting. And after a few splashes over their bodies, one of the adults forcefully pried him from the other boy, making him wail in loss like a siren. The golden girls were giggling at him.

The adults around him fussed over the other boy, some of them a bit angry, the others apologetic. But Haruka didn't register most of the conversation, mumbling for water again, crying involuntarily and reaching blindly for the other boy.

"You have to endure." The other's voice sounded a bit put off, but all the same, he touched his forehead courageously, even though he flinched a bit. Soft whispers surrounded him in a language he had never heard before but he likened it to the noise the water made as it fell on the stone and the earth and the leaves. Water was continually splashed to his head, cleaning his eyes and face, calming him a bit.

"You sleep now." The boy said. "You'll need it next time you wake up, Haruka." And the voice cooed him back to sleep in that unknown language.

"I can't believe you let him endure such a scorching fever for so long. His eyes are damaged. If you leave this alone, he'll lose his sight and eventually die." The boy declared after Haruka's breath calmed down. "Actually, it is a miracle he had survived this long!"

"But nothing can bring his temperature down. We tried so many medicines and herbs." Tachibana protested in anguish.

"This fever is not because of an illness." The boy looked back at their prince, now his own face solemn and upset. "He is tired." He mumbled thoughtfully. "He has come a long way, hasn't he? He is so tired and his soul is so worn out that only water could heal him." It was as if the boy was talking about himself, too, Hazuki thought, but the moment passed when he turned his determined gaze back to the adults. "Bring us to a water body here. I'll wash him there. It'll be the fastest solution, though it'll hurt a lot."

Haruka didn't know but, these words created quite the argument among the adults, the boy listening to them patiently, knowing that in the end he'd cure the other boy either this way or that way. His patient was too sick to endure any more of this fever. But instinctively, when their skin contacted, he understood that the black haired one didn't need normal medicine. He had never seen someone like this. If he had to describe it, Haruka was like a dried up plum. Human body consisted of quite a good amount of water, but the one in Haruka was nearly dead, causing great suffering to the black haired boy. How could someone become like this, he didn't know, but at least there was a fool proof solution for it even though it hurt like there was no tomorrow. Yet he believed that Haruka was strong enough to endure it.

As the others argued, mostly Tachibana trying to dispel his doubts, Hazuki watched the other boy. The kid looked so innocent and devoted. He thought that the small kid could easily be the definition of purity and strength of believing in the goodness of things. There was a sad kind of gentle smile on the boy's face as he cooed to his patient, massaging the prince's forehead. Hazuki could see that the palm of the kid was an angry red, as if it was burnt and blistered, but the boy was no longer flinching. His eyes going wide, Hazuki asked. "Is that a burn in your palm?"

The kid looked up at him and sheepishly drew his hand back and reached to his neck to rub at his nape. "Yes, but I'll heal myself later, it's nothing." And Hazuki saw some other angry red burns on the child's neck area where their prince had grabbed at before. His mouth slackened in shock.

The child's confession alerted his guardians. The teal eyed one immediately went to him and looked into his hand, his face turning murderous in an instant. "You are not doing this!" He hissed like a doting parent would.

The child regarded him calmly and to Hazuki's surprise, he took on a serious look. "No, I will. He'll die sooner or later if I don't."

The adults exchanged looks that told a lot but it was as if the boy's words were final. "So, will you take us to the water or not?" He asked.

Tachibana and Hazuki eventually gave their consent. "But know that it'll cause great pain. He'll scream and cry a lot, but he'll be cured even from the illnesses you haven't realized yet."

They didn't know what to do with that information but they were desperate enough to try everything.

The next thing Haruka knew was that the feeling of being submerged into water as his body was passed from a strong embrace to a frail child's arms. Even through the haze of his consciousness, he immediately recognized the owner of the arms and relaxed. The other held him cautiously, gently as they sat in a shallow body of water. The pain was immense but the relief that the water gave was wonderful. He tried to open his eyes, tried to move in that small cool embrace, but he couldn't.

"Haruka, do you know how to swim?" The boy was asking in a small voice. "I know and I wish we could swim here together. This lake is so beautiful and cool. It is so friendly and it agreed to help you." Haruka honed in onto the voice with everything he got. He was crying. "Haruka, it will hurt. It'll hurt quite a lot, but try to bear it, because you'll be as good as new, okay? I promise."

If he could, Haruka would beg the other to spare him from the pain that he was already going through, but all he could do was tremble in the water, his world narrowed down to that sweet, merry voice. Then it started.

The boy began to talk. The language was the same as the sound of water moving and Haruka felt the water around them stir, tremble and shiver like a human being or a great animal would do. It grew colder and it enveloped him like a tight second skin, Haruka had never felt something like this. It was as if he was being sucked into a glass bell jar, his ears popping, and his eyes starting to burn. But this was the tolerable part.

Suddenly a flash of light flooded his eyes and he saw the golden girls around him, this time silent, looking on at him in awe, in fear. With that sight came such a ferocious pain from deep within his own core that he started to scream like had never done before. His voice hurt his own ears but even that was not enough to express the magnitude of what he was going through. He was trashing madly, but the water had hands and it kept him in place, causing great fear in him, making him think that this torture was inescapable and infinite.

His whole body was out of his control, something worked in his veins, in his marrows, shred by shred, bit by tiny bit. He believed that he was bleeding from his ears, eyes and nose, all his hair was uprooted and nails were being pulled. The girls watched.

He didn't know how long the pain lasted, but when it subsided, he was surrounded by a blue light, soft and cold, comfortable. He snuggled deeper into the embrace of the other boy, listening to his mysterious words. He felt boneless, he felt as if he was one with the water, as if he was lying among cool sheets of finest silk. As the boy was washing his eyes, he was crying softly, burrowing to the crook of the other's neck, this time finding the power to return his embrace, making the boy laugh.

"I think you feel quite alright now, ne, Haruka?" The merry voice asked and he shivered, rejuvenated, completely cleansed, and completely new. Haruka just hummed and nuzzled his cheek to the other, making him laugh again. It was unbelievable how he felt as if he wasn't the one who had gone through all that torment for two months. But he was alright now. All he wanted was this wonderful feeling of being surrounded by water and being in the other's arms to continue as he slept and slept.

"Remember Haruka." The voice called to him, clearing his mind from the impending sleep for a moment. "When you wake up, come and see this lake, okay? Thank it for lending me its hand. Thank it for granting us life." He hummed again and held onto his savior as if he'd never let go and he was thankful that until the moment that he lost consciousness, the other let him cling, petting his hair, cooing to him in that strangly beautiful language of his.

When Haruka woke up five days later, he was overwhelmed. He could see again, his eyes didn't hurt and his fever was gone. Taking all these in took some time as his guardians doted on him, happy and thankful that their prince was healthy again, their eyes tearful. But what Haruka wanted to see more than anything was that other boy who cured him. He did not remember most of what happened in his delirium, but he recalled those cool hands, life giving, merciful, gentle, pure and powerful. He could remember that sweet merry voice talking to him, asking and telling him things, laughing, chirping in a language he didn't know, calming and encouraging him. He knew that he was someone around his age but had so much inner strength and so much generosity. He wanted to touch the other again, see for himself if he really felt as crystal cool as he remembered, see if life would flow to him where he'd touch him.

But… The boy was gone.

What jarred Haruka more was the adults telling him that they did not see any shimmering blue light, no stirring of water or anything otherworldly as Haruka had experienced. All they saw was the boy washing their prince as he murmured a spell like thing and their prince screaming and trashing in the shallow bank of the lake.

Haruka had never been more disappointed than he was now, both with himself and with the turn of the events, doubting his sanity. Was everything a fever induced dream or what… He didn't even get to see the boy even though he had wanted to do it so much that it hurt.

"How was he like?" He asked, deciding that he'd keep the meager memory of what he had experienced to himself to be not labeled as mad.

"He was a sweet kid, always smiling, his eyes twinkling." They'd say. "He was small just like you. He was amazing. He cured you and looked after you for two days here."

"But how was he like?" He questioned again, meeting with uncomprehending eyes.

"He was a gentle boy. He was…"

"His eyes? His hair? His name?" Haruka interrupted in a rare show of impatience.

And the adults looked at each other in a slowly dawning horror, realizing that they remembered nothing about the boy who cured their prince. "We… We didn't ask his name, yes… But I don't quite remember if he had brown hair or blonde hair." Tachibana muttered in shock.

"Neither do I…" Hazuki joined, slapping his forehead in self deprecation. "What kind of horrifying people that we have met! I can't believe how unguardedly we had trusted them. We were jinxed by them!"

"Horrifying?" Haruka protested. "But I am cured!" The Beys had nothing to say to that, understanding that their guests probably had a reason for secrecy. "I hope you have rewarded them accordingly."

Tachibana's eyebrows rose in dejection. "They didn't take it no matter how much money we had offered to them. The boy refused my every offer but I gifted them a pair of _janbiya_ that my grandfather had made by hand, my prince."

Haruka nodded, bowing his head. He really wanted to meet that boy. It was such a desire that it ached as if the other boy threw a hook and caught one of his heartstrings and wherever he was going now; he was dragging that thread connected to his heart and pulling it, making it twinge. But he couldn't voice any of it, marveling at the maddening sensation that the water left on his skin. He wondered would it still be the same if he'd swim in that lake that he was cured in. He promised himself to visit it, not because he remembered the words of the boy, but simply because he was curious.

Yet the biggest of the shocks was yet to come. After he recuperated for over a week, getting his energy back enough to travel again, he stepped outside in the morning as the sun was about to rise.

What he saw made him fully come to terms with the fact that he was completely crazy. The girls were back, they appeared out of thin air as the sun shone on them, as if making them visible to the eye slowly. They were all looking at him with awe in their eyes. Then one of them fell to her kneels and reverenced him.

_"Good morning, our king! Bid us whatever you will!"_

All the other girls knelt, too, and repeated the same thing, looking up at him, waiting for him to acknowledge them.

Later, Haruka was going to learn that he was actually quite sane even though he was the only one who could see and hear the girls. They were named Arinna, servants of their Sun God, and he could command them. As he grew up, he realized that not only the sun maidens, but also the fire djinns, called Ifreeth, would do his bidding -yet not always with the same obedience.

But for now, he chose to run back to their earthen house to hide there until he found the courage enough to face them, the girls laughing at his retreating back fondly.

_TBC… _

* * *

**Khalat** is a loose long sleeved outher robe, short like a jacket or long like a mantle, made from cotton or silk. It is the dark gray robe that Rin wears in the ED.

**Turban **is a head wear, generally made from long pieces of cloth, worn by men and woman alike with different wrapping styles, varying in shape and color.

**Janbiya** is a distinctly shaped, curved dagger used among Arabic cultures, worn under the belt on the side of the user.

**Arinna** is the name of the Hittite Sun Goddess. In this universe, it is the umbrella term used for the maidens of the Sun God that is worshipped in Shalbatana and some other countries bordering it. They distribute the rays of the sun, giving life to everything, looking out for the fertility and longevity of the lands, people, and animals.

**Ifreeth** (originally efreet, ifreet, afreet) is a fire djinn/demon. They generally live in the hearts of the houses, they are territorial and generally disobedient. They can be a source of warmth, safety, and light while also be the cause of great misfortune and destruction.

_Review?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning for this chapter: **Depiction of a fight, violence, slavery auction.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"This could be dysentery, bilharzia or even cholera for all you know." Rin muttered in agitation, rubbing the back of his neck. He was sitting beside the bed of two sick children, harsh sunlight beating through the open windows and the door.

The kids were boys around the age of six or seven. When Rin had entered the house, they looked so gaunt and pale that for a moment Rin had thought they were dead. The boys were barely awake, having trouble in breathing and running a severe fever.

Rin's eyebrows drew together. "How long have they been like this?"

An old woman, the grandmother of the kids answered, her voice laden with worry and sadness. "More than a week... They have bloody diarrhea, too." She bowed her snow white head in hopelessness, tears in her eyes.

"Uncover them." Rin watched as the village chief helped the old woman undress the kids. The boys' abdomens looked bloated on their right side and there were skin lesions here and there on their legs and feet as if they itched severely. "Turn the boys around." He said, slowly coming to a diagnosis. "There it is. The spleen of this boy looks larger than normal." Rin nodded at the village chief to cover the trembling boys. "Are we close to the irrigation canals? I didn't see any when we entered from the north."

The chief looked confused. "There is one that go around the edge of the village, on the east."

"The water is mostly stagnant in the canals this time of the year here." Rin made the connection in his head. "You let the kids play around the water?" He asked incredulously, but mostly with the disappointment of someone who had become used to hearing the answer.

"Yes, but what has it got to do with this?" The other man helplessly gazed back at Rin.

"Ai, go and ask the parents of the other kids if they have the same symptoms as the boys here and if they let them play around the irrigation canals."

Aiichiro, who had been sitting near Rin silently all through this, nodded his head determinately and sprang to his feet. "Yes, Senpai."

"Find me at the village square." And before Rin even got up from the ground, the silver haired boy was out. "Please take me to the canal. I think the children of this village have caught bilharzia, the snail fever."

The old woman gasped and visibly shivered at the news, her tired shoulders sagging further. Rin felt the familiar twinge in his heart at the sight of the grandmother's misery. He sighed, correcting his two janbiya daggers and covered them with his biege khalat. Before he left the house, he turned to the old woman and smiled encouragingly at her. "Boil some water and let it cool down. Make the boys drink it as much as you can, Granny. I'll cure them for you, I promise." And finally, his words put a little hope on her worry-wrinkled face.

Rin exited the earthen house, walking briskly with the village chief side by side, passing other houses and small gardens towards the irrigation canal.

The village was a relatively big one, on the outskirts of Azuan, in the Kingdom of Shalbatana. Even though Shalbatana was the sworn enemy of where Rin came from, he liked wandering around this kingdom's edge, so close to the Great Desert. The air was acrid here during this season; agriculture was not thriving even though there were irrigation canals around.

The canals were coming from the dam built on the major water supply of not only Shalbatana, but also Kisaara up north. Now there was a moderately sized lake on River Arda within Shalbatana's borders, cutting the water flow to Kisaara into a quarter of what it used to be. Thus, ever since the dam had been constructed, an animosity of unparalleled proportions was born between this kingdom and Kisaara. A conflict over water... And water was the most valuable commodity of all.

Rin's face scrunched up in deep thought. The dam was a natural disaster in the making but apparently the authorities in Shalbatana thought otherwise. This outbreak of bilharzia around the irrigation canals during late summer had been around for three years. Considering the dam was nearly 10 years old, one would have thought that by now the authorities of the kingdom would be aware of the possibilities of outbreaks in water based illnesses. But nothing was done; no precautions were taken, no care at all was given other than trying to grow more and more food to feed the ever hungry people.

Rin uttered a small _tch_ sound between his clenched teeth as they approached the canal. Just like others he had seen before, it was dug deep into the hard soil, lined with stones and banks that were made with admittedly fine masonry. But they were not protected against the elements, especially the sun and the debris picked up by the desert winds. Rin knew that the canals running through all five city centers of Shalbatana were covered. But here, closer to the southern border where water was not used for irrigation but for drinking and everyday needs, the canals were unprotected.

Was it a matter of lack of enough resources, namely money, or inconsideration and bad planning, Rin honestly didn't know. Yet, what it caused was apparent and soul wrenching for Rin to witness. The stream in the canal was dead and so was the water.

He came closer. The earth was mucky with water that drained from the masonry, parasitic useless flora was thriving on the banks of the canal. The water was mostly still, only a very small flow was visible and that was blocked here and there by moss, stones, and unsurprisingly, garbage. This angered Rin, so much so that he clenched his hands into tight fists.

"They don't let much water in summer from the dam, I can understand that, but couldn't you people keep the canals free of debris and garbage?" He spat, causing the chief to flinch. "How could you let the kids play here?"

There was ashamed silence from the chief as answer. Rin looked on in rage for a few seconds more and then _tsked_ and stomped around, inspecting the premises with the stick the chief had brought. There were tadpoles in the water and snails in the foliage, some foul smell arising as he poked around.

The water was dead. It was silent. And nothing saddened Rin more than that.

He turned towards the chief and squarely gazed into the older man's bleak eyes. "I will cure your children, Hasan Aga." He said. "But you'll do as I say from now on, without a question. Do we have a deal?" He cocked his head to the side and narrowed down his maroon eyes.

The older man joined his hands together at the front in complete resignation and bowed his head a bit in respect. "As you wish, Beyim."

Within a few hours, most of the villagers were gathered in the village square and were listening to Rin.

"You have to clean the canal and keep it as free of debris and garbage as possible. Though I understand, the slow flow of the stream is not your fault but you are making things worse by polluting what feeds your wells and the underground water."

A few mutterings and grunts were heard among the crowd, Rin hearing some of them.

_It is not our job. _

_Why should we do the dirty work?_

Rin got incensed upon the words, but his friend Aiichiro's worried face stopped him from getting back at the others. "If you poison the water, the water will poison you in retaliation, what did you expect?" He admonished harshly, forgetting for a moment that he had to be more constructive. He sighed, his anger withering when he thought about the sick kids. "Clean the canal, keep it as such. Boil your water, keep your hands and food clean, prevent anyone from meddling with the canal, and don't let the kids go near them. Bilharzia is not the only contagious illness that comes from water. During this season, when the water is still, I suggest you to look out for your animals. Provide them with fresh water, too." And he talked and talked. As he taught the villagers, the people respected him even more, running around to find the herbs and other curative things that Rin asked for.

It was tedious work, but finally Rin managed to prepare enough herbal cure for all the sick people. There were ten children and three adults -the parents of some of the children. As he promised, Rin was at the old woman's house. Granny's house shared a well with five other surrounding cottages and Rin and Aiichiro were now standing before it.

"I'm seriously losing my faith in humanity, Ai..." Rin was complaining, totally dispirited and appalled. "They have upset this village's Arank to such an extent that it refuses to come out." With an _hmph!_ sound, he sat on the ground, crossing his arms on his chest in annoyance.

Aiichiro neared the well which was reaching up to his mid-thighs, chancing a glance into its dark depths with wonder in his eyes.

"Don't lean in too much, you might fall." Rin warned distractedly, startling the other and causing him to actually lose his balance for a few seconds there. But the silver haired young man quickly got a hold of himself and fell back to the ground right next to Rin, before the other could get up and help him.

"Ai!.." Rin admonished the younger one good naturedly and Aiichiro broke into a series of apologies for scaring the other.

"It's alright, it's alright." Rin huffed, but his mood quickly turned sour again. "It is just that if you fell into it, I wouldn't be able to save you. It is so riled that it would have trapped you until you'd drown." He sighed again.

"This kind of things didn't use to happen often, did they, Senpai?" Aiichiro asked, looking back at the well not with fear but with pity.

"Ever since that dam came into use, the water in the river basin is irritated... The Arank on the edge of the Herdesherr Desert are getting furious and upset day by day." Rin straightened as he breathed with determination and closed his eyes before burying his fingers up to the last knuckles into the hard earth near the well.

Aiichiro watched him sit still in concentration and he didn't dare utter a single word as he waited for the red haired male to give his verdict upon the situation. Rin's lips were moving in a silent language that Aiichiro doubted anyone other than Rin understood. It looked as if he was in a heated debate with someone. Aiichiro knew what Rin was doing and that it required patience and time.

As the sun started to set behind them, Aiichiro continued guarding his Senpai, not making a noise, nor moving.

After more than half an hour, the water in the well started to make bubbling and splashing sounds and Rin took a very deep breath, opening his eyes and releasing his hold on the dry earth. "Ai, will you get some water for me from the well?" He looked a bit tired, but satisfied.

"Yes!" Elated by Rin's happiness, Aiichiro started to enthusiastically turn the sweep, bringing up a bucket of water with a bluish bright light accompanying it.

Rin smiled as they heard a meek, animal like noise saluting him. "Good to see you, too." The red haired male nodded.

* * *

Haruka watched his men unload the goods from the animals.

They were in the country of Belili, the largest kingdom on this side of the Desert Herdesherr. Haruka hated the place with all his might because there was not a shred of humidity in the air. But this hatred was not solely reserved to this country. In fact, there were few places that Haruka liked at all which were all far away from the seemingly endless desert that covered the south of the continent. Yet, life was cruel and you never knew where you'd end up at.

Belili was a desert country; its cities were all huddled around large oases. This city that they regularly brought their goods to was one of them. Nefer was a bustling trading center, vivid with energy, where trouble was abundant because thievery and fraudulence were common practices. And never forget that the city was a crossroads for human trafficking of documented and undocumented kind.

Haruka leaned against the granite pillar of the storehouse building, overlooking his men's work in the yard as animal after animal was unloaded and led away by the men towards their inn.

The storehouse belonged to him; a large administrative building behind heavy doors and a beautiful yard with a fountain in the middle of it. Below this grandiose was a huge underground depository where the unloaded goods were now categorized and taken to. Haruka was one of the few people who owned something like this. It seemed like a privilege but it actually had cost Haruka quite a lot. This building and his permission to do commerce in the country were granted by the annual tribute that he paid to Belili's ruler.

Wherever he traded with, he had a building like this. People that knew him thought that he was rich enough to buy a kingdom, which was technically correct. But he didn't look it in the least. In fact, he looked more like a cold blooded bandit and he consciously fed the idea with the long kilij strapped boldly to his belt and his turban sinisterly fashioned around his head and over his face. None of the Beys wore less than adorned kaftans and khalats or silk bishts, but Haruka wore a tight half shirt under a loose piece of cloth folded around his shoulders. His dark gray shalvar was comfortable and it was all that mattered. Ostentatious clothes were an invitation to death and the bandits were ever ready.

Last five of the camels were now free of their burden and led out by a man as Makoto, his childhood friend, approached him with a thick roll of paper and a portable ink holder and a pen in his hands. He deposited the items on the small table Haruka had been standing beside and motioned to a wooden chair for him to sit.

"We have finished the documentation, Haru." Makoto sat down next to his friend and fanned his face a bit. The afternoon sun was sweltering and Haruka's sour mood was not helping the matter either. Makoto smiled knowingly at that. "Stop eying the fountain, I ordered the servants to empty it until the night fall."

Haruka huffed and turned his head around in mild annoyance. It was irresistible to him, to jump into any kind of water body wherever he saw one. Even though he knew soaking in the decorative fountain pool among so many strangers and his men was inappropriate, Haruka couldn't help it.

"Wait for a bit until we compare and check the sales reports here, Haru." Makoto continued to smile. "I promise that we'll sneak to the edge of the oasis tonight."

Now that did the trick and made Haruka's sea blue eyes sparkle. Motivated enough with the promise, he pulled the documents towards himself and started to study them, Makoto watching him with a fond and gentle look.

They sat there until the night fall, the manager of the storehouse accompanying them with more paperwork and transaction register books. Makoto and Haruka checked and compared not only their caravan's documents but all the other ones belonging to Shalbatana's trade, collected and managed from this particular storehouse. It was a very tiring work but Haruka had to survey it as the legal owner of them all.

By dinner time Haruka was bored out of his wits but things were in order. They ate lightly and made the short work for their inn to have a few hours of rest before they left with horses to the edge of the city.

Actually, the city never slept but the nights were really cool, the clear skies sucking the warmth of the desert to the point that it was sometimes quite chilly. Around two am, it was the coolest and most people preferred to get a shuteye whilst it was cool enough to sleep. Now was Haruka's chance.

As expected of Makoto, he was ready with two dark horses at the stables, giving the reigns of one to Haruka. They were out and unsurprisingly not the only ones around. The bazaar was still noisy, some vendors were resupplying, some were packing up and some were opening their tents and stands for the next day. But it was a subdued noise and much more tolerable than the wild commotion of the day time.

"There is no moon tonight." Makoto observed, his green eyes lost in the sky as they rode in a calm pace through the city towards the end of the oasis. "It feels eerie."

"So that's why Masami is following us." Haruka commented without even looking back.

"Being prepared never hurts, right? Only traders, drunks and bandits are outside this time of the night."

"Then pretend we are bandits, too."

Makoto smiled at the monotonously uttered answer. "Maybe we should consider changing our profession."

"I don't care as long as I can travel to find new places to swim in." Haruka urged his horse to pick up the pace now that they were pretty far away from the busy places.

Makoto sighed in mock exasperation behind his friend, letting the other gain on him. He was used to hearing those words, because water meant everything for his friend, for their country. But water, like a capricious lover, eluded him. That was the single most reason why they had become tradesmen, abandoning their titles, growing up in caravans, wandering the continent from the coasts up in the north to the desert down in the south. They had been to many places but had never lingered at one place for long. They saw their own country less frequently than they saw other places. All because Haruka loved water but his love wasn't reciprocated much.

Makoto spurred his horse on, too and before long, they were at the downstream of the oasis. And as expected, Haruka jumped down his horse and quickly shed what little he had been wearing and without a care dove into the water. Makoto huffed and looked around, trying to spot any prying eyes or danger. Masami kept his distance but he climbed down from his horse, too, hand resting on his wide kilij, his eyes alert. Makoto nodded to him and took their horses to the nearest tree, tying their reigns to it.

"Isn't it cold?" He asked his friend.

"No." Haruka shrugged as expected. Makoto knew that even if it was chilling, his friend wouldn't utter a single word of complaint. That much was Haruka's need to swim.

He walked towards the bank of the water and crouched down precariously on the edge of the stream among the still green foliage. This place was their regular spot in Nefer and never before had they been caught or disturbed. Since they were downstream and didn't dirty the water, there was nothing to complain. And even if there was, Haruka's gold pouch solved many problems. Also never underestimate the persuasive power of the one hundred armed men at his disposal. No wonder they had never been bothered before by anyone who had heard of them.

But the air around them was still and there wasn't much nocturnal noise other than what Haruka's movements in the water caused. Makoto gazed about worriedly, but didn't utter a word in consideration of his friend's rarely found enjoyment. He tried to suppress his nervousness by petting the greenery around, hearing their tiny whispers as he did so.

"You should swim, too, Makoto." Haruka swam towards him, all aware of his friend's turmoil.

Makoto restlessly shrugged. "No, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow."

"You are easily spooked." Haruka shook his head to clear his dark hair from his eyes. There was a half smile on his lips.

Upon his friend's words Makoto looked sideways with a self derisive smile of his own. "You enjoy yourself."

Haruka shrugged and swam further. He understood Makoto's concern but the water was simply too divine for him to care. It was cool and enveloped him like a luxurious silk sheet, driving away the memory of the day's unpleasant hotness. It was deep; his feet thankfully didn't reach the understandably slimy mud floor of the stream. And the current was not strong. For him, this was the definition of peace when he turned on his back and willed himself to stay still, letting the water carry him, looking up at the huge stars dotting the pitch black heavens.

"Where shall we go next, Makoto?" He asked suddenly.

Startled a bit from his silent exchange with a little water lily that he found on the shallow side of the stream, Makoto looked at Haruka in surprise. "We came here _this morning_, Haru." His eyebrows drew together as if he was exasperated. But he knew what Haruka meant and turned his eyes towards the skies, too. It was like a velvet sea, decorated with pearls and diamonds. "Maybe it is time to breath in some salty sea air..." He contemplated aloud, voicing Haruka's thoughts. "Why not, actually?" It wasn't a question, but a decision.

The water splashed and Haruka turned back to swimming, hiding his small relieved smile in the water. "Then it is settled."

* * *

Aiichiro was crouching in the entrance of the Granny's house, his head resting on his fisted hands in deep concentration. He was watching the night sky with narrowed eyes. No moon was present to shed a bit of illumination to the sleeping village.

Rin was tending to the old woman's grandchildren, helping them slowly drink spoonful after spoonful of the mixture that he had prepared earlier. He knew that the other children and the adults were getting the same treatment as he had instructed their caregivers earlier.

The night was quite chilly, but thankfully Granny was spry enough to stay awake and provide them with a fire going in the heart and some herbal tea steeping on the stove.

"Ai, you'll get cold." Rin warned without dividing his attention from his work. The other youth didn't answer, which was something rare, considering he'd always be all ears if Rin would say something to him. "Oi, you must be chilled to the bone. Come inside." Rin tried again.

Even though late, this time an answer came. "Senpai, there is something wrong with the night."

That made Rin stop and turn towards his friend. "How wrong?" He asked cautiously but calmly to not frighten the old woman.

Aiichiro had a very keen sense of danger and generally when he felt disturbed, something would go wrong. This trait of his saved them many times from really crappy situations. Thus, Rin always heeded Aiichiro's concerns.

"Something is out there..." Aiichiro turned back to Rin with a grim expression on his face. "Bidding its time."

Now that was not good. Rin closed his maroon eyes and called the Arank of the well back to him. When he concentrated enough, he shuddered with a feeling of foreboding. "The water is disturbed, too." He clicked his tongue harshly. They had just come to this village and without a moment of respite, they were probably going to be in grave trouble. "That something, Ai... Is it a pack of wolves or jackals? Hyaenas?" He hoped it was so.

"No, the birds would have told me if it was so, Senpai."

Rin turned towards the old woman, standing up. "Granny, put that fire out." He instructed and did the same to the small oil lamps. "We should get the kids to the inner room and stay guard here."

Aiichiro immediately got up to help, carrying the kids and their bedding into the storeroom of the small house together with Rin.

The old woman tried to go out to warn her neighbors but Rin persuaded her to stay with her kids. If something would happen then there was no way to warn the others without creating a commotion to attract and spur their assaulter into action.

Rin gave her the rest of the medicine and told her to lock and barricade the door from behind. The wooden thing was a flimsy barrier but maybe its poor condition would be a distraction.

By now, Aiichiro's short kilij was unsheathed and they were hiding in the shadows, the door of the house closed. To his younger's horror and indignation, Rin was still sipping the tea that the grandmother had made for them from the earthen cup. He was used to Aiichiro's reactions to his antics by now. Since he got a certain thrill from danger and besting something or someone that was probably stronger than him, he had to divert his attention with something to keep focused. There was nothing to do other than waiting. Not even the nocturnal noises were present and the well at the back of the house felt like a graveyard.

Rin berated himself for not realizing this danger sooner but there would have been little he could do then, since he wasn't someone to leave the villagers to their own devices after promising them to cure their sick. He took another sip from from the hot tea, his eyes trained to the dim light coming from the windows that they were crouching under.

A shadow passed.

He shared a tense glance with Aiichiro and unsheathed the janbiya strapped to the front of his belt. Neither of them were breathing as a shadow stopped in front of the window that Aiichiro was hiding under. Rin put the earthen cup down and nodded to his friend just in time the door was opened.

A burly man with a thick _pala_ in hand entered the house. Unexpected from someone of his size, he was quiet like a mouse. The man took a few steps into the thick darkness of the room and Rin waited to see if he would lose interest and go out. But no, he advanced more, ever ready to kill whatever moved within the dark.

Rin let Aiichiro to take him out. The slim youth was so agile, so quick that even though he made some noise in his charge, the other man had no time to raise that heavy pala and strike. Aiichiro landed two long slashes on him and for good measure, stabbed his heart when the guy fell to the floor like a potato sack. One would not have pegged Aiichiro as strong, but he was quick to carry the dead man aside into the shadows, too.

Just then another man entered and it looked like he was a bit puzzled, as if wondering where the hell his friend had gone to. This one was carrying a kilij and looked much more alert than his dead friend. He took in a few steps and the first scream pierced the night then, coming from a house really close to where Granny's was.

The man hesitated a bit with the scream and Rin took advantage of it. He sprang from his hiding place, attacked to the man's neck whilst he countered his kilij with the other janbiya that he wore at the back of his belt. The man proved to be more talented than his dead partner in crime.

More screams tore the night and the man bellowed at Rin in frustration because Rin was a master of using daggers, one hand deflecting the sword, the other attacking the man's unprotected side. He slashed the bandit many times, but apparently he couldn't cut deep enough and the bandit was stouter than he let on.

Yet his bellowing brought in more men.

Rin kicked his tea mug towards the newcomer, burned and distracted, the bandit got hit in the chest with one of Aiichiro's short daggers. Just as Rin managed to land a fatal slash to his opponent's neck and killed him, it became quite clear that the commotion that they created in the house was going to draw more people's attention.

Rin considered their options. This seemed like a midnight ambush to rob the food and any valuables that the local people had. Now everywhere was filled with screams, stomping horses and the shouts of the bandits. He knew that if they left the house, they'd be face to face with their attackers. Aiichiro was the finest warrior one could ask for, but there was so much the two of them could handle. If they stayed in the house and waited for the commotion to subside, sooner or later these bandits would come in groups to loot the house and find them and kill them. He shared another glance with Aiichiro in the momentary stillness and found the same question in his eyes.

_What should we do?_

He had to be the one who made the decision. He went to the front of the house and looked out of the edge of the window. The bandits were numerous, mostly on foot but there were some riding horses and carrying torches for the others. They were killing the ones that resisted them. Survival instinct kicking in, nearly all the villagers were surrendering and letting their attackers bind them with ropes instead of being slayed. But what made Rin shudder was the fact that bandits were taking hostages.

Men were collecting the youth of the village and tying them together. This was a lost cause, Rin realized. The kids and the old woman inside were very likely to get away alive but Rin couldn't effort getting caught. He made his decision, and even though it was against his principles, they had to run away.

He made a hand gesture to Aiichiro and the younger one immediately caught on. They slithered out together, keeping to the shadows. Their only advantage was the coverage of the moonless night because there was no foliage around to hide them, only boulders, rubbish and old wooden and earthen things. And that was not enough.

Keeping to the walls of the gardens, Rin aimed to the murky and smelly irrigation canal on the east, hoping to hide in it until the raiders would leave the perimeters. They saw one of the date palms and the clothes and animal skins beside it catching fire. The tumult that it fed helped them to advance for a bit but somebody noticed them.

The attack was quick. It was do or die now, so Rin ruthlessly fought. This time the man was really good with his swordplay and Rin didn't dawdle. He simply stabbed his opponent at the first opening he saw but their fight drew in more bandits. Aiichiro was trying to keep up with two men at the same time and Rin immediately went for his help. He grabbed a still burning torch from the ground and threw it with a good aim. It hit one of Aiichiro's attackers squarely and lit him on fire. Taking advantage of the surprise, Aiichiro drew his sword through the other man.

But more and more came, cornering them to a small garden. Suddenly a rider jumped off the wall of the garden that Aiichiro had been standing before to keep his back safe and the silver haired youth saw the rider aiming a thin but very well made lance towards Rin. And Rin's attention was on the next attacker. Without second guessing himself, Aiichiro lunged to the huge animal and made a shrill sound with his mouth, frightening the animal mid action and cutting the leg of the rider in motion. The horse ramped mightily and the man on it, unable to control himself due to the pain, lost balance and fell down, but right down on to Aiichiro. Rin only witnessed the half of the event from where he was fighting and Aiichiro howled in pain and disappeared among the shadows.

Even though he knew he shouldn't have, Rin panicked upon seeing it and hearing that kind of noise coming from his friend. He dodged another swipe of his opponent's sword and ducked and turned unbelievably quick, practically gutting the other like prey. He rushed to where Aiichiro was lying trapped under the dead weight of the fallen rider. But, distracted by the urge to save his younger, he realized the bandit hiding on the corner of the cottage too late. A thick wooden stick was broken on his back and he fell, too, his sight blackening due to the pain. Another hit at the back of his head and the last thing he saw was Aiichiro's crumpled body before he joined him in unconsciousness.

The next time he woke up, Rin had a tremendous headache and backache where he had been hit. His body's natural response was heaving and he actually threw up what little he had eaten that night. He could hear crying around him and colors were swimming but he was conscious enough to remember what had happened and what awaited him next. He tried to sit up, coughing and when he managed it, his world slowly turned steady and marginally less painful.

There were lots of young people around him, males and females, all tied together, shackled on arms and legs with chains. _Damn, damn it all!_ He swore silently and searched for Aiichiro. He didn't have to look far; his friend was lying on the hard ground behind him, whimpering in pain. He tried to reach the other in worry to understand what ailed him but with a vicious crack, he was whipped on his back. He stopped himself from yelping and looked up in animalistic anger, his instincts kicking in and governing him.

"Stay put, you little shit!" A bald, dirty man grinned down at him with an oiled whip and a long kilij in his hands. "Or I'll cut you and your friend. I don't care how much we could make out of you!"

Rin growled at the dirty guard and inched towards Aiichiro even as he got whipped for it again. When he stilled, the man walked away to the other end of the lane, swearing under his breath. He nudged the other youth gently with his foot and Aiichiro looked up, the sadness on his face surpassing the pain he was feeling.

"Senpai... I am sorry." He managed to whisper. "Because of me..."

Rin stopped him. "No. Don't think like that." He looked around to see if anyone was watching. "Your ribs?" He asked, seeing the other was nursing his right side carefully.

Aiichiro nodded. "That rider used me as a cushion."

Rin bit his lip and looked around again. There were twelve young people other than the two of them, huddling together on the edge of the village. Armed men were carrying sacks of villagers' food supply, wheat, oil, date and dried meat. They were carrying refilled skins, most probably with water and wine. Now that Rin carefully counted, there were fifty-two men around, eighteen of them on horseback. There were ten camels, being loaded with the stolen goods of the villagers. Rin knew that together with Aiichiro they had killed six men. Then this party most probably had been consisting of sixty men.

Escaping seemed impossible among this many armed men with their shackles and Aiichiro being wounded. These people were not simple bandits, they were slave traders. None of the youths around him was harmed whilst some villagers were laying around wounded or worse, dead. But most of the villagers were alive, held back by drawn swords and spears, getting hit if somebody tried to reach for their children or their goods. Unsurprisingly, the sick were not taken. Rin sincerely hoped that they weren't killed because they weren't of use for the bandits.

"What will we do?" Aiichiro asked even though he knew there was no answer. Their weapons were taken; he didn't doubt that their money pouches and a few small trinkets that they had been wearing were robbed off them, too.

"We'll bid our time." Rin answered, not believing that they had even a bit of a chance. They were probably going to be taken to the nearest big market place and sold there even though they were all freemen.

There was this widely accepted regulation which dictated that the people who were caught during the wars by either of the warring sides could be enslaved. They could be bought back by their homeland to be set free or sold to other parties to gain war prize. But everyone knew that anyone you might catch by any means or under any circumstances was a potential commodity for you to trade. You just had to know where to tuck in some money in the slave registration offices.

"Get up! Get up! Get up!" The bald man and another short but sturdy one approached them, kicking and whipping the sitting youth onto their feet. More men with their faces hidden behind tightly wound clothes joined them and within a few minutes everyone was ready to go, to where, Rin could only guess. He helped Aiichiro to get up and taking advantage of the commotion, he checked his friend's wounded side as good as he could under the circumstances.

There seemed to be a swelling but not bad enough to not probe yet, Aiichiro was a tough warrior, he didn't even utter a single sound as Rin checked for any broken bones. As far as Rin could tell, there were some, probably three, fractured bones and one of them was possibly broken. This was nothing immediately life threatening but mostly a big hindrance. Aiichiro was going to be in a lot of pain for a while.

"Just walk, don't resist them. Let's see what we can do." Rin advised him and patted his arm to reassure the other even though he knew they needed some miracle to escape from his situation. The way their chains connected permitted them to walk side by side, so Rin let the other young man lean on him to save his energy.

Whips cracked and screams heard, the villagers trying the attack the bandits. But they had none of it. The bandits simply wounded or killed anyone who was brave and fool enough to resist them. Their leader, a tall man with a vicious scar on his naked chest threatened them by burning their village down and promised to come back later as a dark omen.

They walked.

The bandits were fast travelers and they didn't stop even under the ruthless midday sun. They talked among themselves very little but from what Rin could hear he understood that these men were from Shalbatana. These scum were pillaging and enslaving their own people. One of the girls they took seemed only ten years old. All of them were frightened, thirsty and hungry; their future taken away from them. There were few things that were as despicable as these men and their so called profession. Rin was shaking with rage, but that was all he could do.

Aiichiro was faring better than he hoped and he now knew where they were heading to. In southeast laid Nefer in the country of Belili. They were to be sold there and nothing came to Rin's mind to avoid that fate.

The bandits sold them to a slave trader who was camping on the border of Belili. The man had his own armed guards and he was quite a chatterbox, sleazy and cunning. He made a really hard bargain with the chief of the outlaws. He personally checked his purchases and for a moment Rin feared for Aiichiro. The boy looked paler and his pain was visible on his face. He was a liability in his state and these merciless people could kill him or worse, use him for unutterable things until he died. But the thin man started to play with his mustache as soon as he saw the two friends. Rin had never felt himself dirtier than when the man touched his chest and face to inspect him. It required inhuman strength to not resist or attack the man then and there.

It was the evening of the second day of their captivity and they had been walking nearly forty hours with so little water, nothing to eat and a few moments of rest every now and then. When the chief of the bandits took his money and left them, the sun was hiding behind the dunes of the desert. They were ushered to a large tent, their shackles remaining. Fortunately, they were given water and food since the trader wanted his merchandise to be in perfect condition. That was when Rin had time to actually check Aiichiro's injury. The young man had a large, purple bruise on his right side, swollen. Rin made him bite into a piece of cloth to keep him from screaming and prodded the swell for real as he made the other do several things to shift the bones and listened to his breathing. Yes, there was a broken bone but thankfully it was of the easily mending kind. Aiichiro needed lots of rest and some strong painkillers. He needed to sleep and keep that bruised side as stable as possible.

Rin had been carrying some balms he had made for this kind of painful situations, herbs to ease the the pain and help sleeping, but together with everything he had, they were stolen, too. Then again, if only he had running water, water that was still alive, he could help his friend but the land that they were stopping at was acrid. He tore his khalat into long stripes and bandaged Aiichiro's torso as good as he could after sending his power to his friend's side with his touch, relieving his breathing a bit. The other was apologizing profusely, ashamed of failing Rin and getting them into this situation, but Aiichiro had saved his life by stopping that spear wielding rider. Rin could and would never blame him. What their real concern was how to get away from these people.

Rin observed and waited patiently, there was no way to shake off trained man hunters in desert on foot. But in a city, they had more chance even though one of them was injured. He ate whatever was given to him, made Aiichiro eat and drink his fill, too, to keep their strength. Nefer was less than two days away and that was where Rin made his move.

In the morning of the fourth day of their capture, the trader got them into the city. By midday, they were in the bazaar. Their ankle shackles were taken to let the skin heal from them, presumably to raise their appeal. And the chains were replaced with a sturdy rope, tying them from the shackles on their hands. The guards around them walked a bit away from the group and they were made to wear long cape like cloths as if to hide their chains. Rin understood, their papers were not ready, yet.

He dared to stray a bit to the side, deliberately bumping to a man and stealing his janbiya from him. He got hit for it and shoved back into the group but he was already cutting his rope under the cape. Aiichiro patiently waited for him to pass the blade and when he got it, he made a quick work of his ties, too. Their hands remained shackled but at least they weren't tied to the group now.

They waited, walking among the crowd, passing the vendors, the stalls and when a man herding a group of animals, two camels and five horses, came by them, Aiichiro started to make a musical but very strange sound with his mouth and the horses lost it, attacking the group.

Nobody really understood what happened. Within a few seconds, Rin and Aiichiro got away. Rin wounded one of the guards that noticed their escape with the dagger he took back from his friend. But he did it in such a way that the man seemed to have fallen of his own accord. The horses stampeded and ramped as if in anger. The crowd broke into screams and began running all into different directions. Aiichiro got hold of a horse and Rin threw him onto it, making the other scream in pain. Then he got on, too, smacking its rear harshly to make the horse sprint.

They heard the shrill voice of the tradesman ordering his guards and city patrol to catch them as Rin rode the horse into the bazaar, trying to find a quick escape from the city. Aiichiro was holding onto him but whimpering, the stride of the horse had to be jostling his side. Unsurprisingly, whistles were blown. Now alerted, the patrol started to attack them either on horse or on foot, coming out of unpredictable roads and ways. The streets were narrow and truth be told, Rin didn't know this city much. He made the horse do wild movements, forcing it jump over stalls and walls and stacked goods whilst it carried two people on its back. But he was desperate. They passed by a very ornate, large pool and a water way. Rin whispered under his breath and the water roared to life, flooding the premises and their two followers onto the cobbled street.

Taking advantage of the bewilderment that this caused, Rin steered the horse towards whence they had entered the city but suddenly when he was passing through a narrow street, a large black net was dropped over them, frightening their horse and causing it to stumble. Even though Aiichiro tried to calm it down, it ramped wildly and threw Rin and Aiichiro from its back. Rin quickly cut the net to shreds and freed himself, but just as he was about to take his friend, too, he was kicked in the stomach and hit with something wooden on his back.

Not minding the pain even for a bit, he yowled in anger like a mad man when he saw Aiichiro being hit by a patrol and falling on his wounded side.

"Ai! Ai, don't resist! Don't move!" He was screaming even as he was being beaten by wooden sticks and kicks. His dagger was already knocked out of his hand, he saw Aiichiro going still, a man forcing him onto his hunches, mercifully no longer hitting the half unconscious young man. But it took a while to subdue Rin, his anger and frustration still pumping adrenaline to his system, making him not flinch a bit against his beating.

"I am a free man, you fools!" He was bellowing. "You are serving to kidnappers and pillagers! Let us go! You can't apprehend free men!" But no one heeded him. He was brought to his knees and his head was forced down, people gathering around the commotion and Rin was still struggling, unable to control his ire.

The slave trader came as Rin exerted himself futilely and one of the patrols asked. "These men insist that they are free men. Have you been holding them down forcefully?"

"What a lie!" The thin tradesman shrilly cried. "I have purchased them two days ago. They are war prizes captured in a skirmish on the border of Shalbatana. Look, one of them even has a wound on his side to prove it." He softly kicked Aiichiro's leg and a patrol checked him, finding the bandages.

"You are the one lying! You pillager! This man is partner in crime with some bandits! They kidnapped us from our village and sold us to him!"

"Here are their identifications." Completely unfazed, the sleazy man rubbed his mustache with a dirty smile on his face.

Rin looked on with disgusted bewilderment. When the hell the bastard got the papers?

"These seem legitimate enough to me." The patrol showed the documents to someone else and they both nodded in agreement.

"Those are fake! We are free men! There are twelve other young people together with us! We were kidnapped!" Rin desperately explained.

"Then prove who you are. Is there any means of identification on you? Are there any people who could testify for you?"

"Can't you see that we were robbed?!" Rin asked, appalled and in disappointment. But even if they hadn't been robbed, Rin had not been carrying anything to identify himself with. He could never tell anyone who he or Aiichiro was. They'd either kill him or make him rot in dungeons whilst they'd use him to start a war. This was the risk he'd taken when he had become a wandering healer.

"You can take them." The patrol let the guards handle Rin and Aiichiro. "But you'll pay for the damages your slaves have caused. And they say one of your men is dead. Is it their doing?"

"Oh, no! No! He is not dead. He is a lucky fool who cut himself when he fell down during the uproar. And I'll pay for the damages, yes."

If the merchant admitted that Rin was the one who injured the guy, Rin would be thrown into jail and he couldn't sell him. He could always find new muscle, but he considered Rin's beauty as worthy of more than a few lives.

The men took them away, the crowd dispersing, Rin unable to believe how close he had been to freedom, had he been able to reach the lake of the oasis. Aiichiro was hanging limply from the arms of the men and he was crushed with the harsh reality of losing his freedom for an unseen amount of time until he could find a way to reach Sousuke or Seijiro somehow. They would find him and take him to safety from wherever he was, but first, he had to find a way.

* * *

Haruka was sitting under the shade of a coffee house together with Makoto and two of his men when he saw the red haired menace that stormed the bazaar into mayhem. In that instant, something twisted in his chest, as if a hook was caught by one of his heart strings and the pull threatened to dislodge his heart from his ribcage. The feeling was both painful and somehow nostalgic.

Unable to tear his eyes away, he slowly stood up, the pipe of his hookah falling from his hand and he watched that young man with that strikingly red hair quite possibly wound someone, steal a horse, help a friend and ride away, smoothly cutting through the throng of people, into the narrow labyrinth that was called Nefer. It was such a sight that Makoto whistled in awe.

"Mahir, go and learn who that man was and why he did that."

The said man sprang into action and disappeared quickly upon Haruka's order.

"Haru?" Makoto asked, finding Haruka's order unusual. Normally, Haruka would just observe and turn his back when the commotion subsided, always keeping his distance from things that didn't concern him.

Haruka didn't answer. He calmly sat down and found his pipe again, wiping the mouthpiece.

"I wonder if he is a slave." Makoto thought aloud, watching his friend's reaction. "He was really fierce."

Haruka subtly nodded at that and Makoto smiled. "I hope we'll see him again soon." He uttered what was probably Haruka's silent wish and when the said young man narrowed his eyes down without real anger, Makoto chuckled.

But who knew that his wish would be realized this soon and in such a way.

A few hours later, they were standing before the biggest slave market in the city and that red haired young man was forced onto his knees on the platform, hands and feet in heavy chains.

As soon as Mahir returned and told them what he learned about the escaped slave, Haruka left the coffee house to go to the market, Makoto following him in great surprise for his sudden interest in the other young man.

The red haired slave was covered in bruises, his white shirt torn in the chest area to show the potential customers how strong, healthy and appealing the young man was. But there was actually no need for that. He was a beauty in every sense of the word with that wine colored hair of his falling in long strands over his face, his eyes in a deep maroon shade, full of life and anger, his teeth fiercely snapped into a growl, muscles wiring under a startlingly smooth and pale skin for a guy. Every person in the crowd showed interest in him for what reason one could only have a guess, but Haruka was not taken in by the physical beauty, in fact he wasn't even registering it. All he could think was the fact that this man reminded him of something and he needed to have him by his side until he could name what that thing was.

"Buy him, Makoto." Haruka whispered, covering his face with his turban, clenching his fist.

"Eh?" Makoto looked at his friend as if he was seeing him for the first time. "We don't need more men, Haru."

"Buy him."

That cut the argument into a finality. Makoto nodded and joined into the auction. "Twenty-five!" He shouted, upping the gold pieces by two.

Within a few seconds, the bid arose to thirty seven pieces. Numbers were flying over the crowd, the slave visibly shaking in ire or in shame, they didn't know what.

"Forty!" Makoto yelled, some people turned and looked at him, some drawing back.

"Fifty!" Came a thin voice, belonging to a tall and a very rich looking lady, winking towards Makoto and making the crowd go _wow_.

"Fifty-five." The green eyed youth upped his bid.

"Sixty-five!" A young man, possibly a Bey like Haruka joined in and the tall lady immediately quipped, "Seventy!"

Now even the slave was looking on at the competition in confusion.

"Give a hundred." Haruka whispered and Makoto hesitated for a bit, turning to his friend. But Haruka's attention was totally captivated by the slave. Makoto searched his friend's face and in that instant he saw something there, and finding it reason enough, he nodded his head as if to himself.

"Seventy, then!" The auctioneer reminded.

"A hundred!" He determinately uttered and noises of disbelief and excitement erupted from the crowd. Everyone, even the slave, turned and looked at him, rightfully thinking that he had to be a very rich Bey.

"Anyone else?" The auctioneer asked, "Anyone else?" But no one dared. "Sold!" He declared and the slave was pulled to his feet, dragged towards them with his documents by his handler's side.

Makoto and Haruka were welcomed closer to the tent and the green eyed youth procured Haruka's stamp together with a coin pouch, handing the money to Haruka. He signed and filled the documents in Haruka's name and Haruka counted the pieces onto the small table before the slave trader. Makoto pocketed his documents and Haruka got hold of the red haired slave's chains, tugging him to his side.

One had to see the trader's face; that old man turning so alive as he recounted his money among the safety of his bodyguards. Haruka felt disgusted and tugged the slave further towards himself, but the other was not even looking at him. The red haired youth's eyes were trained on the silver haired boy who was being brought to the platform by two guards like a limp rag doll.

The slave was biting his lip to the point of bleeding it. "Ai..." He was trembling as if he was ready to bolt. "Please..." And when the auction started at a low price, the slave turned to them and tried to reason with Makoto, thinking that the green eyed man was his master.

"Beyim, that's my friend. He is wounded." He started, making Haruka blink owlishly at him. Makoto was surprised, too, but he quickly regained himself and was about to correct the slave when he saw Haruka shake his head.

"These people will either work him to death or torment him in other ways, please buy him, please." The slave had such a compelling voice and eyes that Makoto was easily swayed, but he was no fool.

"What makes you think that I won't do the same if I buy him?" He asked, looking into the other's maroon eyes, not seeing anything but truth and straightforwardness there.

"You have kinder eyes than that, Beyim." The slave said with conviction and knelt before the green eyed man, totally ignoring Haruka and causing him to raise an eyebrow at that.

"I am a healer, he is a groom. We can take good care of your men and animals. I beg of you, he'll slowly die if he's not treated soon, please, he's the only friend I have left!"

The young man was in such desperation that Makoto shared a subtle look with his friend and upon Haruka's approval, he shouted, "Twenty-one!" The relief that shone upon the face of the young man was a sight to behold and Haruka couldn't tear his eyes away from it.

Luckily, the bidding for the silver haired slave stopped at twenty-six pieces and he was brought to them immediately.

While Makoto was going through the formalities, Haruka was standing beside the two slaves, watching how the red haired one talked the slighter guy into wakefulness like a big brother would do. For some reason the thinner and shorter slave started to apologize with tears in his eyes as soon as he realized the situation that they were in but a few gently whispered words made him stop and get serious in a bitter and sad way. Haruka just observed.

"Hey, do you have some water?" The red haired slave asked, looking at him directly for the first time. Startled, Haruka just stood there, silently looking back at those shimmering eyes.

The slave cocked his head, confused. "Some water?" He tried for a second time and getting no answer, a very small, derisive smile appeared on that face and the youth talked again. "I know we must be quite a sight for you right now but, I really need some water."

That smile did _something_ to Haruka and he didn't like it, refusing to acknowledge the feeling. He turned his face away, reaching to his small flask and threw it to the other. The slave got it, helping his friend sip from it slowly. And then he took a few sips, too.

"What is your name?" Haruka asked, surprising himself with his own curiosity, too.

It was as if the slave thought for a second before answering. "I am Rin." He handed the flask back. "He is Aiichiro."

"Don't you have family names?"

The other youth's eyes hardened at that. "Is there any need for that when you are a slave?" It wasn't a question.

"But your documents say that your names are Jiro and Kaede." It was Makoto speaking. Now hearing that angered Rin visibly, but he desisted.

"That's because those documents are fake, Beyim."

Haruka narrowed down his eyes at that. "Fake or not, we bought you." He drew the line, tugging at the chain and causing Rin to look up at him. The red haired youth resented those words, Haruka could see it but they were the truth. "Now get up and help your friend." He muttered. He was aware of the angle of the shadows and the way he stood was making him a sinister figure not to trifle with. His lower face was covered, too, and he looked terrifying like that. But the red haired youth, Rin, could have never seemed to be intimidated less. He stood up and even though he had been beaten harshly earlier, he let his friend lean on him, carrying nearly all of his weight.

Haruka saw Makoto draw his eyebrows together in sympathy for the slaves, but he said nothing, his blue eyes showed nothing. He purposefully made Makoto take the lead, walking before them. He stayed behind a step with Rin and Aiichiro, quietly watching the contemplating look on the red haired youth's face.

He was trying to find the name of that feeling Rin caused within him as they walked towards their inn, but nothing came to him. Even as he puzzled over it in every step they took, it eluded him like a capricious lover did.

_TBC…_

* * *

**Kilij** is a type of one-handed, single edged and moderately curved saber/sword.

**Pala** is a shorter and sometimes wider kind of kilij.

**Arank **is a water spirit in Ancient Turkic mythology. They are believed to be the guardians of any size of water bodies, springs, brooks, rivers and lakes. They don't have definite physical forms. They are pure and innocent in nature and not malicious.

**Shalvar** is a type of unisex comfortable loose trousers, tighter in the ankle area, sewn and worn in many different styles and forms. (Haruka's black trousers in the ED)

**Bisht** is a popular Arabic men's cloak made from luxurious flowing fabric, generally worn as a symbol of prestige.

**Kaftan **is a front buttoned coat or overdress, usually knee or ankle length with long sleeves and maybe worn with a sash.

_Thanks for the alerts/favs and reviews :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Not much was uttered during the walk.

Rin carried Aiichiro as best as he could, trying not to inflict more pain to the poor boy's side. And he used the time to think.

The green eyed Bey, whose name he was yet to learn, was taller than all of them, muscled in a lean way as if he himself was a worker, too. He had brown hair with a greenish hue to it, shining like the sea weed Rin had seen when he used to swim in the sea. He was a good looking man and if Rin was a good judge of people's character, he bet on that the tall man was not a cruel person. But that idea didn't negate the feeling of worry that grew in Rin's stomach.

The Bey had paid a great sum of money to get him. Rin wondered who'd pay that much gold just to get a common worker or a personal servant. He feared that the Bey was going to use him for things that Rin would never suffer through as long as he breathed. Even though the Bey was gentle and handsome, for Rin, that was the basest of the things one would ever fall down to. What was worse than a common slave was a slave who was bought and kept for pleasure as if he was not a sentient being.

How much more twisted could this world get, Rin wondered, feeling sicker by the second with the cruelty of the reality. At least, he wasn't separated from Aiichiro. Even though the younger youth was technically his bodyguard, he was more than that, he was his friend. Nevertheless, the Bey was merciful enough to buy him, too, even though Aiichiro probably looked weak and of little to no use to him. Rin knew how wrong that notion was.

Putting that aside, the Bey's servant was not someone ordinary, either. He seemed like a mercenary for hire. The man was stoic, silent, and deadly. Rin could tell that the other was a great warrior; you could smell something primordial on him. They were nearly the same height but the other looked much more flexible, no wonder because of many conflicts and fights he had probably seen. He had a healthy tan and was comfortable with his near half nakedness. That thick kilij he was carrying needed some good muscle work to be of use and Rin wondered who'd win if they'd fight.

But there was something that bothered Rin more, and that was the young man's eyes. They were trained firmly on him and Rin hated being watched. He tried to rein in his annoyance, to not draw the attention of the Bey walking in front of them but it was futile. The other had an unblinking gaze, full of wonder, shimmering in a nearly unearthly way. Such infuriatingly blue eyes, like the depths of the sea; and he was watching him with the curiosity of a child as if Rin was an upturned insect, struggling.

"What?" Rin hissed, totally mystified by the interest shown to him. Was he that much of a sight?

The servant's eyes widened for a second and he quickly turned his head away, murmuring. "Nothing…"

Rin barely kept himself from clicking his tongue in annoyance. He adjusted Aiichiro on his shoulder and walked along. The constant watch was not the only thing bothering him. Rin doubted himself for it but somehow the other youth seemed to exude warmth. It was a crazy thought, he knew but, Rin felt warmer than usual as they walked side by side this closely. It was as if the sun was favoring the other, shining down on him in such a way to complement his imposing figure, catching him in such angles that made him look, dare he say, more elegant and regal than he already was.

Such absurdity! Rin would have laughed at it, had he been alone. Favored by the sun? On a desert? The man had some rotten luck, really.

* * *

"Here we are." Makoto announced, relieved to have reached the storehouse. The guard sitting on the perch built on the walls of the estate announced their return and the great doors opened from the inside. As soon as they entered, two servant men approached and took the chains from Haruka's hands. Makoto nodded them to chain the slaves to the nearest pillar under the shade. He procured the documents from under his khalat and handed them to Haruka who inspected them with a critical eye.

"They are fake, aren't they?" Makoto whispered, fanning himself with his hand.

"Of course they are." Haruka agreed. "When have you ever seen a slave that was really captured in a war or skirmish? Their homeland immediately buys them back not lets them rot in captivity."

Makoto raised an eyebrow at that. "What are you going to do with them, then?" He was truly curious.

"Nothing." Haruka answered, his eyes narrowing down in annoyance after nearing the fountain and seeing it emptied again.

Makoto sheepishly smiled at his friend's predictable reaction but was surprised by his nonchalance. "I mean, what will they be? Will they carry things? Be stablemen, personal servants, cook or cleaners, what?"

Haruka seemed to think for a bit, unceremoniously flopping down on a chair under the building's shade and taking off his turban. "That red haired one…"

"Rin."

"Yes, Rin said he is a healer and that… Aiichiro… Is a groom. Let them do their job whenever necessary. But Rin could help around, too. He looks strong enough to work. Just let them rest for now. That guy needs to heal."

Makoto nodded at that, sitting next to Haruka and undoing his own turban, too. Was it his imagination or today was a bit less scorching than usual? A girl came to them and served them some sherbet and Makoto motioned her to give something to the slaves, too.

They sat there in silence for some time, watching the girl give the other youths some water and some food. It was touching to see Rin feeding his friend first even though he had to be equally thirsty and hungry.

"Why did you buy them, Haru?" Makoto turned to his friend. Haruka's eyes were fixated on the others and when he realized that Makoto was watching him, he turned around, his gaze landing on the empty fountain stubbornly.

After a while, he murmured. "I don't know."

"Shall I free them from their shackles?" They generally freed the slaves that they bought from their chains and as a custom of these lands, branded them on their hands with a tattoo.

"No. I don't want to brand them."

"But Rin is desperate to run away and he'll try to escape again."

"No. The shackles remain. Change them to something not rusty and more comfortable."

Makoto's eyebrows rose again. Branded slaves didn't need to wear those and walked freely around because if they escaped they knew what would happen to them. They'd be brought back. Countless times… And Haruka was not a bad owner. He didn't treat his servants differently from how he treated free men. All of his servants and slaves worked for him willingly. Not that he had many, but seventeen of his men, now including Rin and Ai were of this kind.

Makoto sighed, taking a sip from his drink. "You know, they think I am the Bey." He snorted. "Maybe you should really consider changing your style a bit."

"Let them think that way and warn the other men about it." Haruka was seriously going to play along, which was a feat in and of itself.

"I'll start to think that you are really bored and looking for some amusement, Haru." Makoto couldn't believe that his normally indifferent and apathetic childhood friend was going this far for a total stranger that he'd just met, or better phrased, he'd just bought.

Predictably, Haruka ignored the comment and diverted his friend's attention immediately. "Makoto, I want to swim."

And that made Makoto laugh fondly. "Okay, okay."

* * *

Sitting quite a bit away from them, Rin was trying to listen in on the conversation as best as he could, but damn, he wasn't able to understand anything. They were speaking softly and surprisingly the Bey was acting very familiarly with the dark haired servant.

Rin though if he made a miscalculation and if these two were actually business partners. Surely, the blue eyed one was too relaxed and too familiar around the other and the Bey treated him as if they were equals. But nobody told him nothing. He didn't even know their names. They were chained down here like camels or horses and made wait. At least they were under a shade and a girl gave them some really nice thick soup with lots of meat and some root veggies in it. She returned with a skin of water and some bread. She even gave them spoons and earthen cups to drink. This was much more than he saw how other slaves were treated.

He helped Aiichiro eat and drink, then he made him lie down and get some rest but the other couldn't stay still.

"Senpai, I failed you so terribly, I don't deserve to live." He wasn't sobbing any more, there was grim determination on his face. "Just use me as bait and escape whenever you find an opening."

Rin stopped eating, hushing the other. "Ai, for the last time, stop apologizing and stop being like this."

The blue eyed youth looked up at him. "This is all on me; I can't live with the shame. I don't even deserve to call myself your guard."

"You're not only my guard but also my friend." Rin smiled encouragingly. Then he stopped thoughtfully. "Ai, if we are to get away, we'll get away together. These people seem normal enough, they are merchants and by the looks of it they travel a lot. We'll have lots of chances. Now the quicker you get better, the sooner we can get away. So we need to focus on how to survive this, not wallow about what we can't change."

Aiichiro bit on his lip, sweating profusely. His guilt ran deeper than Rin's gentle words could reach, but he could see that by acting like this he was worrying the other. So, he needed to be stronger next time, stronger enough to not endanger their lives. "As you wish, Senpai..." He conceded and huffed, his breath laboring. "But I really need something to relieve the pain. That horse ride jostled me quite a bit." He apologetically confessed.

Rin looked back at where the girl that helped them went and Haruka saw him searching. "Mei!" He called her and when she appeared, Haruka indicated towards Rin. He got up, too, and approached the slaves.

"He has fractured and broken ribs; he needs to rest as much as he could. Would you show us somewhere we might stay at?" Rin asked Haruka.

Mei looked scandalized for a moment but she kept silent as Haruka knelt and unhooked the chains. "Get up then." He ordered. "Mei, go and open the room." He threw her a set of keys, ignoring her bewildered eyes.

Rin didn't see any of it as he was busy helping Aiichiro get up. They walked towards the main building block, the inside felt so much cooler than one would expect. They climbed some stairs after Mei and passed through a long corridor. Mei unlocked a room and Haruka tugged them in.

It was a very nicely decorated room; in fact, it was possibly the sleeping quarters of the Bey. Rin hesitated for a moment, thinking about the implications of being shown into this room. He cringed, panicking visibly.

Not understanding what the problem was, Haruka tugged the chains again but Rin didn't move. "Enter." He told the red haired male. But when the other continued to ignore him with the eyes of a trapped animal, he reached out and grabbed Rin's free arm to direct him in.

What happened in that instant, Rin didn't know, but his knee jerk reaction of shrugging the other's hold off was negated by something. Something prevented him from resisting and a strange hotness climbed up his arm, numbing him. The dark haired servant dragged him and Aiichiro in and those few steps helped Rin to regain his bearing. He leaned away, forcing Aiichiro to step sideways and thus having the momentum carry him, too. Alarmed, he realized that his arm felt so powerless, so drained.

"Let me go!" He practically snarled and shrugged as best as he could, surprising everyone with his panic.

Aiichiro started to carry his own weight in case Rin needed him and Mei looked at them in horror; why, Rin couldn't care less. And the dark haired servant turned towards him with a slightly baffled expression but didn't immediately let him go.

Rin side stepped, finally freeing himself, unable to understand what had happened to him. His other hand immediately clasped over his arm. But mysteriously enough, his arm felt alright now, even though his skin tingled and felt burnt a bit from where he had been held.

Uncomprehending, Haruka looked at him; apparently waiting for an explanation. He did nothing to hurt the other, did he?

For a moment everyone stopped and looked at Rin, waiting for him to do something and Rin felt he had to say something to draw the attention elsewhere.

"Marigold oil!" He blurted the first thing that came to his mind, backing away further into the room. Aiichiro stood beside him; even though he was unsteady and tired as hell, his stance was subconsciously protective of Rin.

One of Haruka's eyebrows rose. "Marigold…Oil…" He repeated, feeling somehow offended by the reaction of the other upon his touch.

"Yes, for the bruises!" Rin nodded vigorously. "Or maybe witch-hazel oil? Any of them would do." He was still holding his arm, his eyes still panicked. "Some ginger and poppy capsules for the pain… Clean bandages… And I know it is too much to ask for but… Goat's milk would do wonders for the bones." Rin shut himself up before he babbled more.

Haruka let the other calm down from his unreasonable outburst. "Mei, bring in whatever they need." He told the girl. "Give some bedding to them and lock them in." He turned around and left the room, clearly annoyed.

Makoto saw him in the yard and with one look at his friend, he understood the problem. Seeing his brunette friend getting upset over someone should have made him angry, but Makoto couldn't help smiling at the situation. It was endearing to watch Haruka trying to connect with people of his own accord. Something had to be special about Rin to cause such an urge in his friend, but Makoto didn't know what that thing was.

Rin was alluringly beautiful for a guy, but he doubted that Haruka was after that. When the red haired slave had captured Haruka's attention, they hadn't even been able to see his face clearly. Yet, Rin's motions were of liquid power, it had been mesmerizing to watch him storm the bazaar within a few seconds. He was trained as a warrior, Makoto could see that. No wonder the bidders in the market were so enthusiastic about getting him. But what his friend saw in Rin, Makoto didn't have a guess.

What he knew was the fact that his friend was clearly put off now. He donned his turban over his head and handed Haruka his. It seemed like they had to bring their swimming plans of tonight a bit forward. "I think we need a good dip in the bathhouse." He announced.

Haruka narrowed his eyes down. "You know I hate hot baths."

"We'll find a happy medium for us both, come." Makoto insisted, lightly patting his friend's back to get him into motion. He knew just what to say. "Maybe I can give a little gold to persuade the keeper to fill the outer pool for us."

And as usual, that did the trick. Haruka's eyes shone brightly. "Let's ride, not walk." He demanded, suddenly in a hurry.

"Get us some clean sets of clothes!" Makoto told the servants and they went to the stables at the other side of the storehouse to get the horses themselves.

Seeing the brunette's suppressed enthusiasm, he knew that Haruka was going to swim until he turned into a prune.

* * *

Mei, who looked as if she wanted to bash in Rin's skull the entire time, gave them everything they needed. She procured a thin mattress and some quilts for Aiichiro, and Rin quickly helped the other lie down. Staring a fire in the heart, she provided Rin with a pot to boil water, gave him fresh water, two cups and bandages. After locking them in and disappearing for an hour, she came back and gave Rin the oils and other herbs that he had asked for. And finally the door was shut on them for real.

Rin was making tea with some ginger and a bit of crushed poppy capsules, calmed down and at ease now that they were alone. He had massaged Aiichiro's side with the oils and bandaged him with the clean gauze. The sun was slowly setting outside and Rin had checked to see where the single window of the room was looking to. Unfortunately, it was right above the guard post at the back of the house, over the stables.

"What happened there, Senpai?" Aiichiro asked, feeling relaxed for the first time in several days.

Rin steeped the herbs in a cup, crushing them with a wooden spoon to let the boiling water get the best out of them. He turned around and Aiichiro got up a bit, taking the cup from his hands.

"I don't know." Rin confessed, his face was troubled again. "His touch was numbing and burning. I felt helpless…" He trailed off for a moment, his eyes glassy. "It… It didn't hurt much but… It was such an alien feeling, it disturbed me."

Aiichiro listened carefully, blowing over the steam of the cup before he took a sip. "Numbing and burning…" He repeated. "Are you alright now?"

"The moment he let go, the feeling mostly disappeared." Rin rubbed the back of his neck. "At first, I couldn't even dislodge his hold. For a moment, even my feet moved on their own to where he pulled me to." He sighed and shrugged. "There is something wrong with that guy."

Aiichiro stopped drinking. "Like what?" He asked.

Rin thought back to how the brunette had watched him all the way back from the market. "He looks at me as if he knows me."

"But we have never seen these people before."

Rin nodded. "He is acting too familiar with the Bey. It is as if he owns the place."

Aiichiro thought hard on it. "They could be partners. Though to be honest, he looks like a bandit."

"We should take that into consideration. There is no need to alert them yet. We should stay as inconspicuous as possible, mingle and bid our time."

They fell silent after that and Aiichiro slowly sipped and finished his tea, already feeling sleepy with the help of it. He lay down and despite himself, fell asleep quickly now that his pain was subsided a bit.

Rin continued sitting beside him before the fire. He surveyed the room, minding not to move much to avoid making noise with his chains. There was a very comfortable looking bed on the right side of the door, facing it, and the heart was on the left where there was a long divan under the window, covering the corner. It was decorated with puffy pillows and there was another door on the far side of the bed, smaller than the entrance. It was probably a bathroom. The rugs, the quilts, the furniture were all quality made and showed off the wealth that the Bey had. And here he was, a slave, in the Bey's personal quarters… His stomach was flipping with the reminder.

He could settle for playing the role of a slave for someone to secure Aiichiro's health and find a way to escape; but he'd either kill somebody or cause great destruction before he was made into a slave for pleasure. That option was terrifying him. He was vulnerable here with no weapon to protect himself or his friend. His hands and feet were shackled and the old rusty chains were actually heavy. He had never been in this much of a dire situation before. Yes, together with Sousuke or Aiichiro, he'd evaded quite a number of trouble in the past but not something in these proportions with a grim outcome like this. He abhorred the feeling but, he was truly helpless for now.

The night fell and there was a tense silence in the abode. As far as Rin could hear, not even a mouse stirred. He wondered if they were going be given dinner or something to stave their hunger off, but no one came. He got up and discovered that the smaller door actually led to a moderately sized bathroom. It even had soap, towels and scented oils, sponges. He grimaced at the marble interior. These people were really rich if they could afford this luxury in their houses. They had pipes to pump the water in here, he realized, turning on a brass faucet. It was bliss, to be able to relieve himself of days old grime, to be able to wash his hands and face. The water was warm but at least it was alive. He idly wondered how the Arank of the oasis was.

He returned, finding himself a comfortable spot to sit, leaning his back to a chair near the heart. The servant girl hadn't given him any bedding or covers and he certainly didn't want to take a quilt from the bed behind him. So he sat as close to the fire as possible to ward off the night chill. All of his sores and bruises were throbbing and the toll of the sleepless nights was over him. As he sat there, he watched the fire, thinking about his home. He tried to stay awake but eventually his beaten up body and tired mind won over his will and he fell asleep just like that, sitting besides the only source of light in the large room.

* * *

Haruka entered his room as quietly as possible. He was in a better mood now that Makoto kept his promise and had the keeper fill the pool for them with cool water. He swam to his heart's content for hours and then got his dinner with a merchant from his country. When it was time to return, one of Makoto's men came with a parcel and left it with his friend. Now that parcel was in his hand.

The room was quite dark, the fire was about to go out. He closed the door and stepped further into the room.

The silver haired boy was sleeping soundly towards the sitting area of the room and the red haired one, Rin, was sitting beside the fire, hugging himself with his naked arms, sleeping, too. Haruka felt strongly drawn to him, but finding the feeling annoying, he preferred approaching the heart.

The fire was dying; just an ember was flickering in the middle. He gently put a piece of chopped wood near it and whispered something, making the flame roar into life and swallow the wood completely. He fed the flames with more wood and watched it for a while, trying to not give in to his urge. But it was futile and he gave up.

Slowly, he went to where Rin was sleeping and crouched down before him. The other youth didn't look comfortable in the least. His neck seemed to be painfully creaked and he looked cold.

He had long eye lashes, Haruka realized. Now that he looked at Rin for real, it was so easy to see how beautiful the other was. High cheekbones, pale skin, that red hair of his… It looked silky but Haruka desisted from learning if it really was. He looked on. Rin seemed quite strong; his long limbs were probably agile and tough. Haruka looked at his hands. He had tapering, long fingers, unblemished. It was strange for a guy of their age; being this pale, having such elegant hands as if he had never seen a war or never had to fend for himself. But Rin had said he was a healer. Those hands of his were certainly a healer's hands. They were beautiful and reliable, as if they were made to give life.

It was an indefinable feeling that was arising in Haruka's chest near this guy. He couldn't name it, couldn't find anything to liken it from his earlier experiences. Rin was like a magnet and Haruka didn't know what was so gripping and alluring about him. All he knew was that he'd never let the other bidders buy him. And the way he felt about this fact disturbed Haruka.

The fire cracked and illuminated the red haired youth's face in a different way, the flames adding a nice hue to that red hair. Haruka looked sideways towards the fire and another small crack was heard, causing the brunette's eyes to narrow down. When he turned his eyes back to the sight before him, the shadows were all where they were meant to be but Rin stirred. He made a soft, throaty sound as he woke up, his chained hand going to his neck immediately as his maroon eyes opened sleepily. And he froze all over.

Rin forgot how to breathe. Sitting inches away from his face was that blue eyed servant, watching him with rapt attention, unmoving. He even forgot about the pain on his neck as his heartbeat picked up, his eyes widening, his body tensing like a bow, ready to sprint; to where, he did not know. Due to the cold and the shock, he shivered violently and that gouged a reaction from the other. A hand reached for him.

"You are cold…" The brunette was about to touch his face and Rin's mind blanked with panic. All he knew was that he had to get away.

When the red head sprang to his feet and took a step back in a fluid movement unusual for a sleepy, chained down guy, Haruka was taken aback a bit, not expecting a reaction like this. He stood up, too, observing the other. Rin's eyes were wide, they looked crimson with the warm illumination now and Haruka couldn't look away from them. But Rin was frightened, it was apparent. For a single second, he looked at Aiichiro, who was now still asleep behind Haruka. There was momentary relief when the redhead realized that his friend was safe. He was still shivering but there was this grim determination in his eyes, too. Haruka took a step.

Rin backed away even though he knew that made him look weak, but he wanted to avoid the other's touch at all costs. His chains jiggled and he thought that if push came to shove, he was going to hit the other with the chains on his hands. Aiichiro wouldn't be of much help even if he hadn't been practically drugged to sleep by Rin earlier. It was mostly a deliberate choice; because Rin didn't want Aiichiro to see what might happen tonight when the Bey would eventually come back to sleep or to do _something else_. That reminded Rin something. What was a servant doing here this time of the night?

"What do you want?" Rin asked as he took a protective stance against the armed and sinister looking brunette. The other wasn't wearing his turban, but his kilij was at his side and his eyes betrayed nothing.

"Nothing..." Haruka truthfully answered but he took another step towards Rin, this time a larger one.

"What are you even doing here?" Rin asked, backing away another step, knowing full well that he was being cornered towards the bed.

"I sleep here."

"What?" _Isn't he just a servant? _Rin's mind reeled.

"This is my room." Haruka explained patiently, watching Rin panic more with the information.

_How is this beautiful room given to someone like him?_ "Are you also a Bey?" Rin dreaded the answer. He thought he belonged to the taller male. If not, then what were Rin and Aiichiro doing here?

"Am I now?" Haruka was intrigued by the other's confusion.

This evasive attitude was frustrating. Rin wondered if he was bought to be gifted to this man. What was he, the Bey's partner? Friend? Who the hell these people were?

"Get out!" Rin stopped backing away, now furious. He felt really helpless and frustrated with his powerlessness.

"I said this is my room."

"Get out before I gather the whole household here." Not a very dignified option, but Rin was ready to scream and shout.

Haruka considered it. He'd hate to create a commotion this late into the night but this was his room and Rin was becoming really too much.

"Nobody dares to get me out of my own room." And Haruka walked towards the other fast enough to frighten him and cause him to stumble back, his foot harshly hitting the furniture of the bed in his hurry.

Rin found himself sprawled on the velvet covers of the bed. His first instinct was to kick but the short chains of the shackles prevented it, he tried to get away but suddenly the brunette was onto him, firmly gripping his wrists, pinning them on his each side. It felt as if his heart was a few beats away from bursting out of his chest when those hands touched him again. He couldn't even scream.

Really... Haruka hadn't gone for Rin, this was not his intention. He simply had thought that this was enough for one night and he had wanted to sleep. He was just about to take one of the covers on the bed and give it to him. But as soon as Rin had tried to get away just like this afternoon, Haruka completely fell to a baser instinct he didn't recognize. He had simply chased the other when he tried to escape. In the blink of an eye, one of his knees was on the bed. He was leaning on Rin, who was looking up at him with shocked eyes, pupils blown impossibly and darker than the deepest oceans. Rin was trembling. There were tremors on the arms that he captured. Without thinking, Haruka leaned in, making the redhead gasp and struggle, turning his face away on impulse, baring his neck unwittingly. _Oh…_ Rin smelled wonderful; like fresh waters did, like running rivers did. The skin under his hands was smooth like quicksilver, cool as if washed just now. Haruka had never seen someone like this before.

"Get off me!" Rin snarled. Surprisingly, this time the other's touch did not burn much. Sure, it was still somewhat numbing but Rin was mostly in control of himself and he struggled. He twisted in the brunette's hold harshly and managed to free one of his hands and landed two strong blows with his chains on his shoulder. The brunette recoiled a bit but stubbornly didn't let go. Rin's head swam with the proximity and the intimacy of their situation, flushing despite himself, but he tried his best to push his knee between them and propelled himself backwards on the bed, getting away from the other a bit.

Haruka grimaced upon the pain. Rin certainly had something irresistible about him but he was also a handful. Holding the other's chains firmly, Haruka pulled the still resisting redhead towards himself, up, getting the other into a sitting position with some real effort.

Contrary to what Rin had expected, he was pulled up. He stopped struggling for a moment in the other's grasp, astonished a bit. The brunette was looking at him with boredom, annoyance, exasperation and something he couldn't name, all mixed together in those blue eyes of his.

"You sleep on the floor. This is my bed." Haruka said calmly, watching how comically the red haired youth's eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise. "I wasn't trying to attack you. I was going to get you a cover." And he reached back, inadvertently getting closer than before to the other, enough to take another whiff of his neck and hair, and pulled back a velvet quilt, covering Rin who was shocked into stillness.

Rin couldn't believe how he was played for a fool. The brunette made it seem as if he was going to assault him, how could he not have felt intimidated by it… And he had the audacity to look completely unaffected and innocent, this bastard! "What do you take me for, a fool?" He practically growled, holding onto the velvet cloth as if he took power from it. "You have some sense of humor! Is it fun to disturb the slaves and then watch them get terrified?" They were still close, the brunette leaning on him a bit, but this time the proximity didn't frighten Rin.

The accusation made Haruka's eyes widen and he leaned back a bit as if recoiling from Rin's ire. "That was not my intention." He answered truthfully, remembering Makoto's words in the bath house. _They must be really frightened now that their lives are overturned. You must tolerate their viciousness and hostility._ But he had forgotten about it all when Rin had treated him like he was some savage. He didn't think there was something wrong with how he'd acted, but apparently there was. Yet since he had paid the price by letting the other hit his shoulder twice, he thought that they were even. "Nevertheless, you sleep here. I sleep here." He pointed to the ground and then to the bed.

Mad at the brunette's nonchalance, Rin harshly pushed the other to the left and shakily got up, going beside where Aiichiro was sleeping. He sat down, facing the bed. After what happened, he didn't want to risk feeling more vulnerable than he already was by turning his back to him. He burrowed further into the velvet quilt and looked up. But as soon as he looked, he averted his eyes to the burning fire in the heart. The brunette was undressing.

Haruka, completely not self conscious, stripped from his dark gray shirt and shalvar, standing in the room only in his underwear. He drew back the quilts and got on the bed, ready to sleep before he turned back to see what Rin was doing.

The red haired youth was sitting towards him, covered with dark red velvet, long legs drawn back, feet bare. He was watching the fire, a pout on his lips, his cheeks were a bit flushed for some reason that Haruka didn't know.

"Don't sit near the fire." He warned, drawing the redhead's attention. He eyed the heart and the light dimmed a bit. Rin didn't answer. Silently, as if just for the sake of irritating Haruka, he bodily turned towards the heart and averted his eyes. And the fire seemed to brighten again in appreciation. Now that wouldn't do. The fire was dangerous and it was attracted to Rin even though the red haired one wasn't aware of it. Haruka whispered something harsh under his breath and the flames were back to how they were supposed to be again.

"Do you need a pillow?" He asked, unconsciously trying to gouge a reaction from Rin, but Rin was stubborn and very good at ignoring him. Against his better judgment, he couldn't help throwing a soft pillow to the redhead's general direction. "Sleep." He ordered, exasperated. "Nothing bad will befall on you, so sleep." Then he turned around and stuck his kilij beside himself where he could easily draw it, and closed his eyes.

Rin knew that men of this type had feather light sleep. They would wake up with the slightest of movements and the faintest of sounds. For a moment, he childishly considered to bother the other by shifting around and making noise. But then he shrugged. He wanted to sleep, too. He was so tired and exhausted. There were faint tremors on his entire body due to the fright of a few moments ago and he loathed the feeling, gnashing his teeth. But there was nothing he could do about it other than squashing the emotion and burying it until he would be calmer enough to find a solution for it.

The pillow that the brunette threw him looked quite comfortable and he reached for it, hugging it under his head and in his arms. He lay down beside his friend, facing the bed again, alert for any movement. But as he tried to keep himself awake by thinking of his homeland, sweet sleep claimed him, the fire in the heart growing smaller and colder as soon as he fell asleep.

Haruka listened for the redhead's breathing even out and only then he allowed himself some rest.

* * *

The next morning, he woke up to the sound of Rin stirring. Erasing the drowsiness from his mind quickly, he laid there, listening the soft sounds that Rin made as he woke Aiichiro up. Then the small door made its distinct creaky sound and Haruka realized that Rin had to have discovered the adjoining bathroom some time last night when he wasn't there.

After a while he got up, too, startling Rin and Aiichiro. The latter was propped against a cushion as Rin washed the wounded side of his friend with a washcloth that he soaked and wrung in a small bucket of water that he'd taken from the bathroom.

Rin stilled in his ministrations and looked up at him as if he was trying to guess what Haruka was going to say. But Haruka didn't say anything. His eyes landed on the small package that he'd left beside his bed last night, considering if he should open and use it, but he deemed that it was not the time yet.

He left the bed, taking his kilij with him and disappeared in to the bathroom. When he returned, he realized that both Rin and Aiichiro were following him with their eyes warily, as if they wanted to tell him something but desisted. Especially Rin was stealing glances at him and Haruka wanted to learn what the other had to say. "What is it, Rin?" He asked, wearing his shalvar and starting to don his belts and sashes.

Rin seemed startled with his question and for a second his eyes strayed to his shoulder. _Ah, that…_ Haruka looked at it, too. There was a remarkable bruise on half of his left collarbone and on top of his shoulder. It smarted a lot even when he didn't move his arm but Haruka was used to this type of injuries. He turned back at the curious and somewhat guilty eyes that regarded him.

"I can heal it. It looks painful." Rin offered bitterly, bellying his reluctance. He really wanted to bite his tongue off as soon as he uttered the words but damn, the bruise was so blue and purple with some hemorrhaged blood right under the skin where the crudely made chains had to have bitten into.

Normally, for what the brunette had done last night, unknowingly or not, Rin would have deemed that the bruise was proper retaliation and punishment. But the other young man was wincing subtly every time he moved his arm. Rin hated watching people suffer with illnesses and pain even though he sometimes thought that they deserved it. It was against his principles to leave people in misery and Rin especially loathed it when he was the one who caused that misery. Though, the aloof brunette seemed to handle the pain quite well.

"It doesn't bother me much." Haruka said, but then thought that he could test the ability of the healer for himself. "But if you want to…" He added, appearing relatively nonchalant about the matter.

Rin secretly gritted his sharp teeth upon the way the brunette acted dismissive, yet he stood by his decision even though it meant that he had to touch the other youth. Truth be told, he was curious about it now. He wanted to see for himself what would happen if he touched the raven haired youth on his own volition.

Haruka set his golden belt aside, sat down and waited for Rin to come over to him.

Rin dropped the washcloth into the bucket, helping Aiichiro cover himself with his dark blue shirt. Feeling the ever watchful eyes of his friend on himself and strangely reassured by it, even though Aiichiro probably wouldn't be of any help if something happened, Rin got up and approached the other. He hesitated a bit about if he should stand or sit down next to the brunette, but since standing looked awkward, he sat down and examined the bruise that he had made last night.

He had really done a number on the collar bone there. It was swollen and blood was coagulated under the skin deep inside. Dipping his fingers into the oil jar, Rin started murmuring something under his breath as if he was chanting a spell. The oil warmed on his hand and he gently and a bit fearfully touched the other's damaged skin with his finger tips. The brunette's skin was hot again, but not unbearably so. Rin marveled at it, wondering how someone like this could be possible, having such high body temperature, scorching anyone who he touched, but remained as cool as sharpened metal on the outside. Warmth was flowing to him but Rin ignored it in favor of discerning if his hand was going to get numb again. Now there was only a faint tingling and encouraged by it, Rin started to use his whole hand, massaging the area with his palm as he continued to say his healing words.

Haruka watched the other in a daze, totally forgetting about the other occupant of the room who was observing them carefully. The red haired slave had such a wondrous touch. His hand was so soft, gentle and cool. Something was flowing from those long fingers and palm to him; relaxing, rejuvenating, mending the damage in such an intimate and innocent way that Haruka involuntarily and unknowingly inched closer to him. His mouth was slack; his eyebrows were high in absolute awe.

Not only his shoulder, his whole arm and the left side of his chest felt revitalized, cool and light like submerged in cold water, soothed with every brush of that palm, every whisper of those fingers on his skin. "You really are a healer." He found himself talking. "Your touch gives life."

Rin looked up from his work and was surprised a bit to find the brunette's face closer to him. A nervous half smile appeared on his face at the amazed look the other youth had. Rin had heard those words a lot, so many times before. "I am not giving life." He clarified, even though he was partially able to do it, but the brunette didn't need to know that. "I am simply utilizing it, reshaping it, helping it find a quicker way." The eyes before him widened a bit and the sun shone in them in a becoming way, blue swirling in so many different hues in those irises. Rin liked his reaction after seeing that apathetic expression on that face for so long.

"How do you do that?" Haruka wanted to learn, wanted to have this sensation that spread on his skin forever.

As if Rin would tell him that in a million years… But he enjoyed the fact that he had impressed the brunette. "Trade secret." Creating the illusion that there was more to it to keep the other on tip toes, Rin dipped his fingers in a bit more oil. Of course there was more to it but, Rin would never say it out loud, especially before a stranger like this.

That reminded him something. "Do you have a name?"

Haruka, not getting an answer to his question, considered antagonizing the redhead for being able to grab his attention so easily and firmly.

"You called me by my name, so what is yours?" Rin demanded again, looking back at his work. He felt relieved to see that some of the red and blue had already faded from the shoulder.

"Haruka." The answer came, sounding clearly reluctant. But that didn't deter Rin. He continued with his questions. "Are you a servant?" He didn't think so anymore after the last night.

Haruka frowned a bit, peeved by the idea of being considered someone's slave. "I am free." He was aware that he was the text book example of how a bandit looked and acted, but he was no servant, he was free.

Rin quickly caught the emotion and saw how the other regressed back to his earlier cold countenance. Seeing that both saddened him and caused him to resent his situation. Because the raven haired male reminded him of their slavery and cemented the feeling of entrapment further.

"I was free, too, not more than a few days ago." He bitterly talked and sharply regarded Haruka. No longer wanting to touch him anymore, he withdrew and stood up, now somehow as cold as Haruka had looked a few minutes ago. "So you are a Bey, too."

"I work for Makoto. But I am free." Haruka tried to elaborate without betraying much, feeling rejected again as soon as the redhead stopped his healing and returned back to his friend's side. It reeled him and he felt even more riled at himself for letting Rin to cause this emotion in him.

"Makoto… Is the Bey's name?" Rin crouched down near Aiichiro, exchanging a look with him.

Haruka nodded, now totally reluctant to answer. He got up, quickly put on his shirt and donned his golden belt, fixing his sword by his side. He covered his shoulders with a long cloth and took his turban with him, ready to go out and leave the two alone.

Rin didn't like the way how Haruka acted tight lipped. He stood up again, stepping towards the door, blocking Haruka's way. "Tell me who you are."

"We are merchants, we travel." Haruka answered in a clipped and annoyed tone.

"I can see that much. _Who are you?"_

Haruka narrowed his eyes down, staring at the red haired slave as Rin stood in his dirty white shirt and shalvar; graceful and full of pride and sure of himself when he was serious. He had a distinct kind of an imposing aura; different than Haruka's untamed, wild, overbearing and detached countenance. Haruka was a fierce warrior but Rin was elegant, almost royal. Haruka knew it when he met someone of equal caliber.

"What do you mean, Rin?" He asked, even though he very much understood what Rin wanted to learn.

"Why did he buy us?"

"Ask that to Makoto."

"Why did you let us use this room, feed us, let us rest? What do you want from us?"

Haruka honestly had no patience left, his shoulder smarting again. He already wanted the other's touch back on his skin and it irritated him to no end. Yet he couldn't look away from those eyes of Rin. Rin's stance was firm, demanding and taut like a bow but Haruka couldn't care less, he was entrapped by those eyes again. All he could do was look.

But Haruka's passive-aggressive behavior and his single minded gaze ticked Rin off, frustrating him greatly. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Why don't you answer me?" He practically shouted and just a few beats after his outburst, the door was opened hastily.

The one that entered was Makoto with a cautious but serene expression on his face as if he was trying to instill calm with the way he held himself.

"Ah… You are all awake. Good morning." He gave a once over to all of them but didn't comment on the anger that steeped in Rin's eyes or the nervous and disturbed look that Aiichiro had. Haruka immediately turned towards him, using the interruption as an opportunity and nodded his salutation. Makoto stepped inside and inconspicuously created room for Haruka to go if he so pleased. Haruka chose to leave silently; Rin was clearly agitated with barely suppressed anger.

Leaving the redhead alone to calm himself down, Makoto turned towards Aiichiro. The younger youth immediately schooled his features to something neutral and Makoto inwardly commended him for that. "Are you feeling better?" He asked, nodding towards his wounded side.

"Yes…" Aiichiro answered and then quickly corrected himself. "Yes, Beyim."

"I am going to let you rest and get well until you'll be fit enough to carry out your responsibilities. But Rin…" Makoto turned towards the other. "You'll be helping us around after you get your share of breakfast. Aiichiro can stay and rest here."

Rin nodded, playing with the rusty, crude chains on his hands in irritation.

"Ah… Didn't Haru change those things?" Makoto asked and saw incomprehension on Rin's face. He looked around to locate the package that the brunette had demanded from him yesterday. Finding it beside the bed on the ground, he considered whether to change them or not.

Then he shrugged. It was Haruka's responsibility.

"Come Rin, follow me." He led the way and the redhead silently came with him. He showed him around; where the kitchen was, where the other servants were, where everything he should know was located. Rin wordlessly took it all in and Makoto watched him as Mei prepared him breakfast for two. He really wondered what Haruka and Rin had been arguing about before he decided to come in and calm them down. But Rin was quite put off and even more cautious than yesterday. He let him go and eat with the silver haired slave after instructing him to come down because they had business to attend to within half an hour. Haruka had already gone there, he presumed, and Makoto hoped that going out might provide Rin some breather from his situation.

Rin went back to the room, his mood sour.

"Senpai, are you alright?" Aiichiro asked. "What did the Bey want?"

"I guess they need a few hands. I will be taken to somewhere else to help them for something, I don't know what." Rin's eyebrows rose in surprise when he realized that they had been given a whole tumbler of goat's milk as he had requested from Haruka yesterday. Narrowing his eyes down, he poured a generous helping to Aiichiro and drank quite a bit himself. He knew that he most probably wasn't going to eat anything until the evening or the night, so he filled himself as much as he could.

"Drink that milk before it goes bad, okay? And eat as much as you can. We don't know when they'll give you something else to eat. If you feel yourself fine later, try to look around the room, see if you can find something useful for us."

Aiichiro listened to his elder in growing nervousness. Rin was shouldering more than he should, always looking out for him even though that was Aiichiro's job. It made him feel useless. "Don't worry yourself with me, Senpai. I'll do my best." He reassured the other to ease his burden a bit and did as he was told obediently. He had to get better as soon as possible, so that they could do something about their captivity.

Rin nodded at the other, a determined look entering his eyes as he watched his friend eat dutifully and with purpose. If only they could find a way to use the oasis, he could cure Aiichiro in the blink of an eye, but he could never do that under the watchful eyes of their master.

Master… What a word for someone like him to utter, he silently gritted his teeth. But at least, the Bey did not seem interested in him in _that way_ for now, which was a huge relief. Neither Aiichiro nor he was strangers to physical labor and Rin believed that as long as they diligently did their work, they'd be safe, they'd be inconspicuous. Or he hoped so…

It was time to go now. He bid Aiichiro farewell and came down to find the Bey. Makoto immediately looked up at him since his chains made quite the sound as Rin walked.

The green eyed man was holding a bunch of documents in his hands and he stood up, tucking the papers into his khalat. When Rin neared him, he gave him a folded long cloth. "Wrap this around your head, we'll be under the sun today." Then without waiting for an answer, he took the lead and the gates were opened for him and Rin.

Rin tried to wrap the turban to his head as best as he could, given that his hands were bound. He let the two ends of the turban down to create shade for his bare shoulders and he started to follow Makoto.

The Bey was not walking fast, apparently he didn't want Rin to fall back because of the short chain binding his ankles. Rin was only a step behind him as they headed towards the bazaar.

"Don't even think about escaping, Rin." Makoto slightly turned back with a small smile on his lips, causing Rin to falter a bit and raise his eyebrows at him. "I am aware of how desperate you are, but…" He stopped talking for a second as if he considered his next words. "Escaping would prove useless because you'll always be returned back to us. Sooner or later…"

Rin desisted from clicking his tongue loudly. He was aware that the Bey was a clever enough man to read people's intentions. But there was no way he'd try to run away without a plan and without Aiichiro beside him. And that matter of being returned sooner or later… As long as a slave was not branded, Rin knew that he or she would have a chance.

Well… Actually, that didn't matter, either. He could heal any injury; make disappear any blemish caused by worldly means. Erasing a tattoo was not a problem. The problem was how to get away, but there was going to be a time to think that, too.

Makoto was not expecting an answer to his warning, so he made do with observing the redhead from the corner of his eye. The other young man looked troubled, most probably contemplating what he had said a few minutes ago but Makoto really wondered what he and Haruka had been arguing about in the morning.

"Why were you so angry with Haruka this morning?" He asked, falling a little more behind to walk nearly side by side with the slave.

Rin really didn't want to talk about the stone faced brunette now, but there was no use to antagonize the Bey. "He purposefully acts difficult." That made the Bey laugh.

"Why do you think so?"

"I don't know what his status is or what he is to you, Beyim, but last night he made a fool out of me and this morning he pretended that I don't exist when I tried to ask him questions."

That made Makoto perk up internally, but he stopped himself from commenting on it, knowing his friend too well and already expecting him to have done something that he'd be totally oblivious of its repercussions. Haruka's actions and behavior were not shocking once you get used to them. But he could only guess what happened to Rin. He changed the subject.

"We are doing trade as you have guessed earlier. We have quite the large caravan, more than a hundred camels and twenty five horses that we change wherever we stop. As you can guess, we cover a large part of the northern side of the continent. We don't spend too much time at one place." Makoto explained. "We are about to start another journey soon and I want you to see all our men today." Then he laughed a little. "Well, in fact, as many of them as you can."

"How many are there? A little more than a hundred?" Rin asked, already guessing the answer because of the number of the animals.

"Yes." Makoto commended. "A hundred and eight but not all of them come with the caravan."

"I know how a caravan works, some of them are scouts, some travel ahead to arrange lodgings, some spy…"

"Say, Rin… Are you a soldier?" Makoto doubted any answer that he might get.

"I am a healer, Beyim." Rin answered sourly.

Makoto's gaze shifted among the people that they were passing by, neutral, but he was calculating. "That merchant insisted that you two were captured in a skirmish near the lands of Shalbatana where it bordered Belili in the south."

"I know that you can tell what I am even without hearing those lies from that human trafficker, Bey. Please don't make me repeat myself. I am a healer, Ai is a groom, and we were free men just a week ago. This transaction is illegal and you know it, too." Rin was this close to snarling in anger. He was neither a child to be trifled with, nor was stupid.

Makoto kept his face free of any emotion that could show how he felt about the things Rin had said. He actually respected the other's courage and wit. Of course both he and Haruka were aware that the transaction was null, it was only a matter of proving who you were for Rin but all of them knew that doing that was impossible, too. Rin was a slave and he'd better get used to the idea. But that didn't mean that if it were him, he wouldn't let the two men go if they'd provided back Haruka's money that he bought them with. Yet, what would Haruka do if he would do that, Makoto didn't know.

"I can see that you are an intelligent man." Makoto said. "But remember your station." He saw the need to remind the other to stay in line. "Then I believe we won't have any problems."

Rin bit his inner cheek to keep himself from shouting in frustration, tasting his own blood.

"And I expect you to show the same respect to Haruka, too. He is family to me. We work together."

The information made Rin's eyes go wide. "He is actually a Bey like you, then?"

Makoto's eyebrow twitched a bit, remembering Haruka's needless game. "Not a Bey, no." He amended. "But a trusted and precious friend... Just like your Aiichiro..."

_Ai is a Bey, too, not just a friend! _Rin narrowed his eyes down, resisting the temptation to utter his mind. He calmed himself down and focused on his thoughts, looking around. Thankfully, Makoto was a man of reason, unlike his _precious friend_, and it seemed that he actually meant to use his skills as a healer, nothing more. That certainly made things much more bearable.

For now, all he had to do was to endure. And he was a survivor if nothing else.

_TBC..._

* * *

_Pls leave a review. I began to fear that nobody reads this story here ^^'_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

They went to an inn, probably the biggest one in the city. It was made of stone and had so many doors and stairs that Rin stopped counting after a few dozens.

The structure consisted of intertwined yards, all of them with fountains in the middle, date palms decorating the corners to create some shade, halls surrounded with long pillars and archways which supported a second storey above them. Men lazed around in groups, sitting or lying on comfortable looking cushions or divans under the shadows that the building's upper floor created. They were drinking and smoking hookahs, chatting about anything and everything.

Makoto and Rin approached one of the groups that huddled around an intricately made marble fountain. They were all drinking tea and making small talk, some of them loudly laughing, some of them conversing in hushed tones. And in the middle of them, sitting at the edge of the fountain was Haruka, gazing into the water with a deep longing in his eyes.

As soon as Makoto neared, the men gave him their salutation, some of them getting on their feet, some of them correcting their posture. Haruka remained where he was, barely acknowledging Makoto's arrival with a nod, as if he was not interested in whatever was about to happen. Rin just observed them, finding the people's interactions upon their arrival a little odd.

Makoto introduced him to the others and most of the men didn't even look at him, not that Rin expected any different treatment. Here he was just a slave among many slaves, nothing more, nothing less. This was for the better actually. Makoto urged him towards the group, telling them why Rin was here. Rin neared to the fountain and as discreetly as he could, he touched the water that flowed in the three bowled marble fountain. Relieved to feel that the water was alive, he swished his fingers in it, loving the feeling. As Makoto talked, he silently mouthed words to the Arank of the oasis, hoping that this fountain took its water from the small lake, but the water was so little here. It only rippled, danced and swirled within his core, replenishing him, making him smile without being aware of it.

Haruka had seen it all, but remained silent.

When Rin deemed that Makoto finished his talk, he turned towards him. "Bey, I need paper, ink and a pen." He demanded.

The green eyed youth looked at him with mild astonishment. "To make a record of their health status?" Makoto was quick to catch up.

"Yes, it would help me a lot in the future if I'd be able to keep an account of them." Rin turned towards Haruka and saw him surprised. The reaction riled him for some reason. "What? I can read and write!" He blurted. _In three languages!_ But he didn't elaborate.

After a beat of complete silence, some men started to laugh at his outburst, but he didn't care, turning his face away.

"Mahir, bring him something leather bound, thick like a book. And some ink and pens." To Rin's surprise, it was Haruka speaking and his order was immediately executed as the said man quickly left the group to bring the things he asked for.

"Someone will get you back when you are finished, Rin." Makoto said and nodded towards Haruka. As the two made to leave the inn, all men stood up and saw them off. Rin's eyebrows rose at the different treatment. There was something not right about these people but he couldn't pinpoint what.

"Come here, young man!" An old man called to him. The others around him pushed him forward, towing him like a kid to sit on a chair near the old man. Rin awkwardly looked around and within a second, all attention was on him, all the faces were turned to him, sizing him up and down.

"Man, he is so young, just a boy!" Someone blurted, earning peals of laughter from everyone. "What? He is! He must be the same age as the Bey!"

"So you are the mad dog who created that mayhem yesterday? Youth is a good thing, mate!" Some more laughter followed and Rin's eyebrow twitched. _Mad dog?_

"But you have landed in a fine place. The Bey is a good guy, though what goes in that head of his is mostly a mystery, bless him!" This time the stone yard boomed with laughter and Rin winced.

When silence returned, the same old man talked again. "He really looks after us good." He patted Rin's shoulder and Rin silently considered whether these people were trying to make a point. But he let it slide.

"So, welcome lad. You are really lucky, because the food is plenty and the jugs are full! Life is good." At that, Rin forced a smile on his face.

Within half an hour, Mahir returned with the things he'd asked for, procured him a portable table, another chair for his patients, some clean towels and fresh water in a metal basin to occasionally wash his hands.

Rin did a methodical and a highly organized work. He created logs for each man he had examined, entered their heights, weights, ages and illnesses of past and present.

Oh, how many different things he had found! It was like a circus parade of illnesses from ordinary ones like the louse, tapeworms, rotten teeth, muscle cramps, and migraine to more serious things like heart and river conditions, lung problems, rheumatism, infections of eyes and ears, eczema and gout… Heavy smoking and drinking aside, he even found two cases of malnutrition. _Food is plentiful and jugs are full? Yeah, whatever…_ There were two people who had recent wounds on their bodies, probably made by janbiya daggers but thankfully they had already been treated fine. Rin couldn't decide if he should feel disturbed or not upon learning that the Bey's caravan drew quite the attention with its size.

Rin examined forty-eight people and noted down everything that he deemed necessary for him. A part of him felt angry with himself for investing himself so much for these people whom he wanted to get away from as soon as possible, but another part of him felt at ease for having the chance of curing more patients. These people were mere workers; some of them were even slaves, so Rin didn't have a bone to pick with them as long as they treated him well. Looking after them while he was among them was not different than finding patients as he wandered these lands.

Whilst he waited for the last page of his book to dry, he realized that all the men around him were gazing at him with reverence and awe, no longer laughing or trying to belittle the newbie that he was. Earlier, he had healed their minor complaints like aches and pains and other discomforts and that certainly earned their respect. He wished that he could do more but that that would deplete him since there was no way for him to swim somewhere and replenish himself any soon. He had to preserve his energy.

The men were a genial, merry bunch, probably had been working together for quite some time. They were comfortable around each other and it was evident that everyone was here because they wanted to be here. Makoto had to be a well loved master.

They brought him tea and sherbet as many times as he asked. Sometime during the examination, he was even able to eat sweet dried dates, plums, apricots and figs, the courtesy of his new admirers. They made it well into the night as Rin talked and the men listened. He tried to find out more about them but they were pretty tight lipped and evasive in their answers. Rin didn't mind much.

He tried to observe the slaves that he had found out among the workers. Earlier, he had counted seven men with a brand on their upper left hands, glaringly visible. The design was a curious one, resembling to a stylized sun, intricate and detailed. But in the end it was the mark of slavery. Then again, for some reason, Rin thought that he had seen it somewhere else. Not on a person to brand them as a slave, but somewhere… He couldn't quite recall.

Then Haruka came and everyone whoever was left, stood up to him in salutation. Rin got up, too, just to not be the sore thumb among the lot. The brunette motioned for them to sit, joining them, someone immediately pouring him sherbet and offering him fresh fruit. Haruka didn't touch them. He went and sat beside Rin, reaching for the open book like a single minded child.

Rin watched him read, turning page after page, and the wonder on that face increasing continually. He celebrated himself deep inside at provoking Haruka's curiosity. Changing that expressionless face into anything other than that blank state was enjoyable for Rin.

"Your handwriting is like a woman's."

But the feeling died immediately._ The hell?!_ Rin thought, the feather pen that he had been playing with snapped into two as laughter boomed yet again. Highly offended, Rin couldn't stop himself from angrily hissing. "In case you are partially blind, I am a man, not a woman!"

The laughter immediately stopped at Rin's words and the men grunted and tensed for some reason. But Haruka raised a hand and everything was normal again. "I meant that your writing is beautiful." The face of the brunette was quite neutral, free of maliciousness or ill intend.

_Then say so, you jerk! _Rin fumed internally, but didn't say anything. How could this man be so callous and detached of what he'd said and done, Rin couldn't fathom.

"Come, we'll turn back." Haruka urged the redhead and waited for him to collect his book. "Keep the ink and pens, Yamaya. Tomorrow bring them here." He ordered and Rin caught up with him, tucking the book under his sash.

Together they exited the building, retracing the path Rin had walked this morning with Makoto. There were less people around, streets were darker, the bazaar was quieter. Haruka was walking side by side with him, keeping a relatively slow pace. Rin absently gazed at the bazaar stands, all lit and eye catching as they slowly passed by them. There were many things from beautiful cloths to finely made kilij and jewelry. The sight of warm khalats made Rin shiver in the night chill. He was amazed how Haruka could manage with just a piece of cloth over those thin shirts of his. But the guy knew how to wrap it around himself and he looked warm. He touched his own bare arm and for some childish and stupid reason, the feel of his own cold hand on his skin made his eyes tear up. He felt desolate. He had fallen quite low, hadn't he?

To dispel the throat clogging feeling, Rin started to play with his chains. This was turning into a nervous habit to cover his emotions. The chains were heavy; they chaffed his skin, made it bleed. There were bruises around the cuffs. He didn't heal them. They were to remain. They were the proof of his captivity and he'd never heal them as if nothing was wrong with the world right now. The rusty and dirty chains would probably cause an infection in the near future, but he didn't mind. He was used to pain, he could handle it. He grimaced at the torn skin that his fingers found under the edge of the crude metal.

"Are they heavy?"

Rin was startled at the question a bit, turning his head to look at Haruka. The brunette had this honest look on his face again, apparently asking because he really wanted an answer.

"It matters not, does it?" Rin shrugged, letting his hands hang limply by his either side.

"There are wounds…" Haruka observed; his blue eyes trained on the nearest hand that he could see.

"What did you expect?" Rin flippantly asked, not wanting an answer.

"Heal them, Rin."

That made Rin take a serious look at Haruka, his eyes screaming. _Why the hell do you care?_ Reigning in his ire, he decided to not grace that order with an answer and went on walking, trying to increase his pace. Surprisingly, Haruka didn't say more about it. Rin could feel his gaze on himself and it was really unnerving how adamantly the guy could pursue something or someone he had probably found amusing. Rin wondered what was so interesting about him for the brunette to focus on his person this much.

"Do I know you from before?" He asked in irritation.

Haruka raised an eyebrow as if questioning, _Why did you ask that?_ "I don't think so."

"You find me amusing, then..." Rin narrowed down his eyes and stood as menacing as he could for someone in shackles and chains.

"Amusing? No, why would I think that?" Haruka was speaking in such a neutral way without any ulterior motives that it was frustrating Rin.

"Then why do you look at me so? I won't try to escape if that's your problem! Why are you always looking at me?"

Haruka's eyes widened for a second as if he was just realizing what he had been doing since they had met. Then the brunette's head whipped to the other side. "No reason…" He mumbled.

Rin confusedly observed the other, trying to understand him. If only the stoic guy talked a bit more, things would have been a lot easier. "Fine! Don't talk!" He tried to gouge a reaction, but alas, the brunette was a stubborn one, he simply turned his face away further. Suddenly finding their situation hilarious, Rin suppressed a smirk upon the reaction. "I really wonder if you can utter more than two sentences at a time, Haruka." He exasperatedly but good naturedly muttered to himself, facing the other side of the road, too.

He didn't see how Haruka turned back to him with widened eyes, taking in his expression and then looking ahead with shimmers in his eyes.

A few minutes later, they were in the storehouse and Mei was dragging Rin towards the servant's room to give him his dinner. Haruka stayed behind, going straight towards the fountain, happy to see that it was full of water and working. He seriously considered taking off his clothes there and then but Makoto's voice alerted him.

"Haru, please… It is freezing."

"Makoto, let's go swimming!" Haruka demanded like a child without even turning back to look at his friend.

"Not now. For some reason, the nights are getting colder, aren't they?" Makoto mused. He was reclining on a divan under the dark shade of the building with a hookah pipe in his hand.

Haruka touched the flowing water and sighed. "Today was milder, too."

"Yesterday was, too. Then I suppose, you are feeling good …" The green eyed young man blew some smoke towards the starry sky.

"When had my so called good mood ever turned the weather milder like this?"

Makoto gave a serious thought to the question. They had been together, roaming on these caravan roads since they were small kids, barely seeing their homelands once or twice a year. Truth be told, their travels mostly covered the arid lands, the parts of the Great Desert and rarely the coast line. They had never seen a winter in their entire lives, not even near the sea. Freezing colds were not uncommon in deserts at nights, but mild afternoons? He had even given Rin a turban earlier, thinking that it would be unbearably bright. All in all, today had been a sweet day and whatever had caused it, Makoto was thankful for it.

"So how was Rin's work? Was he able to finish half of the men?" He asked to change the subject.

Haruka sat on the edge of the marble fountain and gazed into the reflection of the sky on the water. "You should see the notes he took. The men are too trusting; they even had told him where they hail from."

Makoto laughed at that. "He has a way with people, I guess." He smoked some more. "We should have warned them. Though for him to know where our men come from is not something important or big."

"Tell them to not disclose unnecessary information about us."

Makoto couldn't wrap his mind around the request."Why the secrecy, Haru?"

"Until we know more about them it should be like this. He is not ordinary." The brunette answered.

"You wouldn't have made me buy him otherwise, I can see it." Makoto smiled. "He is knowledgeable about how a caravan works; he is probably a good janbiya user. He can read and write which is quite uncommon among the ordinary folk. And he is a healer if we can count on his word."

Haruka perked up at the last comment, a look of disbelief appeared on his face as if he couldn't understand how his friend doubted Rin's talent. "He _is_." He insisted. "It is as if life flows from his hands…"

Makoto's eyebrows rose. "How do you know that, Haru?"

Haruka thought for a moment, considering if he should show his shoulder to Makoto and suffer the consequence of explaining its reason or not. Then he decided that his friend should know. He approached the divan, unwrapping the cloth from himself and sat beside his slightly shocked friend. He pulled down the large neckline of his shirt and showed Makoto his injury.

"He healed my shoulder this morning."

Makoto looked at the still tender shoulder with a slackened jaw. "How the hell did you get this bruise in the first place?"

"Don't get alarmed, but, Rin did it." Haruka corrected his attire, stopping his friend's motion to get up –probably to find Rin- with his hand. "He thought I was attacking him, so he hit me with his chains."

Makoto sat back again, trying to digest the information. "And pray tell, what were you trying to do then?"

"I was trying to get a quilt for him from the bed, he panicked, fell on the bed and for some reason I followed and caught him, he panicked and hit me twice."

_For some reason, eh..._ Now the look on Haruka's face was someone whose good intentions were wasted cruelly; it was so apparent that he considered himself as the person who was wronged, but Makoto couldn't decide if he should laugh or feel sorry for his friend and Rin. He could only imagine what exactly Haruka had done to deserve the bruise even though he had already warned Haruka about Rin's possibility of becoming violent if he would drop his guard around the redhead.

"And how is this considered healed?" He pointed to the other's shoulder. "It looks quite painful."

"It was worse." Haruka played with the cloth in his hands. "But I guess I should have thought about how he'd perceive my actions."

Makoto made a double take at his friend's words. It was quite the sight, actually. Haruka was an innately good person, without any malice or ill intend in him, but he generally did not bother to check his actions or behavior around people he barely knew. Yet here he was willing to reconsider his moves before he made them when it concerned Rin. And Rin had to be a real healer, indeed, to be willing enough to cure someone who had probably given him a real fright last night, even though he was the one who had inflicted the injury.

"Will you ask him to heal it again?" He ventured quietly, gazing sideways at Haruka.

The brunette nodded.

"Change those chains; they must have chaffed their hands and feet quite badly."

Haruka nodded again.

"Is it a really a good idea to let them sleep in the same room with you?"

Haruka doubted it a little, but he trusted his skills. "I can manage three people at the same time, you know it."

Conceding the argument with a huff, Makoto stopped asking questions, returning to his smoking. He considered calling in someone he could trust to observe Rin, but he doubted that it was a worthwhile idea. Maybe leaving things to unfold by themselves for the slaves was a better option for now. He had more immediate concerns.

"A letter came while you were out to get Rin. Our contact wants quite a large amount of silk to be taken to Dain. What do you think?"

"Haven't we decided that our next stop would be somewhere with a coast line?"

"It is a nice offer and we happen to have the demanded amount stored here in Nefer." Makoto explained. "Here is the letter. Please go through it so we can make a decision."

Haruka looked completely put off by the news, but nevertheless he grudgingly accepted the neatly rolled up parchment. "I'll give it a thought." He motioned to get up, ready to turn in for the night.

"Haru, please be careful. Otherwise, I'll have to insist for Rin's removal from your room."

The warning was from a concerned friend who wished not to see his friend in pain but Haruka simply shrugged, knowing that Makoto was worrying too much.

He wasn't that callous to cause another scene tonight. He'd meant no harm so, it had to be fine. He bid good night to Makoto and went up to his room only to find Rin in it, making tea for his friend. They had been talking but as soon as he entered, they stopped, not even looking at him. Haruka didn't mind.

He threw away his turban, shawl and the letter on to the bed, directly going for the bathroom. He returned back with only a towel wrapped around his waist, wet, the other occupants of the room pointedly looking elsewhere. He didn't know why. He rummaged through his chest by the bed and found some loose pants to get into. Not bothering to completely dry his hair, he put away the towel, too, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. He observed Rin as he massaged oil into the silver haired youth's side.

"How does it feel?" He wondered if it felt the same for Aiichiro, too.

Said boy nervously looked up at him, considering. Rin didn't even stop in what he was doing, mouthing things as his hands worked.

"It is healing… Sir." Aiichiro answered cautiously, not completely understanding what Haruka was asking.

"I mean his massage..." Haruka tried to elaborate. "Does it feel like coolness flowing into you?"

"Eh?" Aiichiro flinched a bit, because that question made Rin react.

"Everyone feels it differently." Rin explained without turning back, but for some reason his body seemed to tense. "Some say that it feels hot, some says it tingles and aches in a good way, some say it feels like a breeze passing through and numbing them. But mostly it is a cool sensation, even cold." _Because on these lands, most people have an essence of fire in their cores..._

"It feels pleasantly hot for me." Aiichiro joined the conversation.

Haruka was listening to them with rapt attention. "How long does it take to mend a dagger wound?"

Rin raised an eyebrow at the question. He would never tell him that he could heal it within ten minutes if there was an alive water body to use around or if he was desperate enough. "It changes according to where the stab wound is. But around three weeks, I guess…"

"Cholera? Dysentery?"

Rin finished his massaging and started to bandage Aiichiro, sharing a meaningful look with his friend.

"Where does the curiosity come from? Are you planning to change professions?" He asked, mildly joking with a half smile.

"I have seen way too many people die from stab wounds or cholera and dysentery." Haruka's eyes looked cloudy when Rin turned around to look at him.

"Your caravan must be targeted quite often, then." Rin mused. "And those infections can be controlled and even avoided if people knew how to keep themselves and their environment clean."

"You need water for that." Haruka deadpanned. He thought that talking about this had to be easy and even trivial for a talented healer like Rin.

"I have seen many villages and towns with irrigation canals running through or around them. Yet the water is generally so dead that it spawned and spread all kinds of infections that you might not even know the names of."

Haruka thought about that, about how visibly the subject upset Rin. Now the redhead had a furrow between his brows, scornfully looking at Haruka, but Haruka knew that his ire was not directed at him. "Where did you see it?" He already knew the answer. There weren't many countries with irrigation canals.

"Does it matter? The whole continent is a dried up piece of misery thanks to us."

"We didn't create the desert, Rin."

"Surely not... But we could do better with whatever water is left, couldn't we?"

"Rin Senpai…" Aiichiro didn't like where the argument was headed to, so he touched his elder's shoulder as a simple reminder.

It worked. Rin's unsettled countenance visibly melted into something wistful and sad. "Right… No reason to take it out on Haruka…" He muttered gently, turning around to pour Aiichiro some herbal tea.

His words made Haruka's eyes widen again and he looked elsewhere quickly to hide his expression. But Aiichiro had seen it and understood what caused those shimmers to swim in those eyes. His Senpai had called the man with his given name and apparently the brunette marveled at it. For a moment, he considered to not drink the pain killer tea to keep awake and alert as long as his Senpai would need him. But Rin urged him to drink and it was neither time nor place to voice his worries to Rin.

"I want a massage, too." Haruka demanded after a few minutes, his eyes still averted towards the fire in the heart.

Rin dried his hands on his shalvar and looked up at Haruka. There was a sliver of hesitation in his eyes as he eventually nodded. He took the oils with him and went to sit on the left side of the brunette. He feared that the other's skin might burn and numb him again. Yesterday, there was a mild numbness but what would happen today, Rin couldn't guess. For a second there, he wished he could pour water on the brunette to slake away some of the abnormal heat off of the other's body, but here he wasn't able to do it. He hesitantly dipped his fingers into the oil and took a deep breath to ready himself for the pain.

_Goodness_, it really was hot this time, just as hot as when Haruka had first touched him. His fingertips tingled and immediately got numb, but he successfully shoved down the urge to flinch. He vaguely remembered another instance that he was burnt as he treated a patient but he couldn't quite recall when and how.

The hot feel of the tanned skin might not have been totally unpleasant and painful if the heat in Haruka's body did not have an invasive quality about it. It was as if it tried to overwhelm him; demanding, pervasive and unquenchable. Rin could feel that it dared to search him, as if guessing that this was not Rin's true power but only the tip of a gigantic mountain that he preferred to show. It was unnerving, disturbing, consuming. And Rin didn't understand why there was this temperature difference between different days. How did it rise or fall… How could this be even possible?

How could Haruka stand being in his own skin?

Involuntarily, even though he forced himself, Rin took his hand back, closing it quickly to hide his reddened fingers.

"Why did you stop?" Haruka knew there was something wrong with Rin. Even though admitting this irritated him greatly, he had been wishing for that touch the whole day and he wanted Rin to continue no matter what. He looked at the maroon eyes of the other imploringly, silently demanding him to go on.

_This man is dangerous._ Rin thought. The brunette's eyes had the power to persuade someone to jump over a cliff. But he really didn't want to experience the same pull again. It was mind numbing. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he'd place his whole hand over the other's skin without some aid.

"Senpai, are you okay?" Aiichiro asked this time, making Rin flinch a bit.

Rin turned towards his friend and his eyes had to have told the other something because Haruka could see how the silver haired boy's air changed.

"I think, I need to compress it a bit." Rin practically jumped onto his feet, going straight to the bathroom. Both Haruka and Aiichiro looked at where he disappeared to with varying degrees of surprise on their faces. When Rin returned, there was a small cloth in his hands and a basin full of water. He threw a reassuring look at Aiichiro and the other youth relaxed a bit, resisting sleep.

Wetting the cloth, Rin rubbed it gently over the bruise, making goose bumps appear on Haruka's naked chest and shoulder. He averted his eyes from the sight and concentrated his attention on the bruise only, gritting his teeth a bit. His hand now wet, he returned back to his massage, this time using his whole hand, biting the inside of his cheek. He decided to apply more power to the area, mouthing words in a speedy manner. He frequently rinsed his hand in guise of rinsing the cloth and compressing the bruise with cold water, but in fact it had no use even though the water coming from the pipes was chilly at this late time of the night.

He repeated the action many times, unable to look at elsewhere on Haruka's body, not even at his ever watchful eyes. Finally, when he finished, he gave a final rub with the other oil and quickly disappeared to the bathroom again.

_Gosh,_ his hand hurt! It hurt too much! The pain was reminiscent of some farfetched memory but he was hurting too much to even contemplate on it. He turned on the faucet and it helped him a bit. He concentrated and detached himself from the pain as quickly as he could, because he knew that the others were about to get suspicious. He focused on the burnt and for some strange reason, in his neutral state of mind; he likened it to a burnt you might get for trying to touch the sun. The fleeting thought was erased from his mind when his core essence took over for a single heart beat and Rin immediately drew his hand back, thankful that he didn't cause a flood in the bathroom.

His hand was healed perfectly.

When he returned, he went for Aiichiro and helped him to lie back on his bed, mouthing an "_I'm alright."_ for him to relax and stop evading sleep. A bit reassured, Aiichiro quickly fell asleep with the help of the herbal tea. Having nothing to busy himself with, Rin's gaze landed on his lap, inspecting the chains on his hands without actually seeing them. He didn't want to turn around and face Haruka again because he was aware how the other had to be watching him now.

"Is your friend asleep?" The question made Rin shiver despite himself. He nodded; reaching for the pillow and the velvet quilt that Haruka had given him. He hoped that his action indicated his want of sleep and discourage Haruka from saying whatever he wanted to say. But he wasn't a lucky guy.

"Then come here, Rin."

Now Rin really hoped Haruka was aware of how wrong that demand sounded. He turned around and found the other still sitting in the same position on the bed.

"We can talk like this." He offered, trying to look braver than he felt at the moment.

Haruka realized how nervous the other was; his eyes were averted and his face was pale. Then he reconsidered his words and noticed how they sounded. "No, I mean no harm. Just come here."

Rin evaluated his options. There was no way to turn and Haruka seemed as inconspicuous as ever. He shrugged and went to sit down on the bed again as Haruka motioned him to.

Haruka procured a nicely wrapped up parcel and set it aside. He shifted closer to Rin and grabbed at his chains, causing the redhead to flinch in panic but to Rin's astonishment, the brunette procured an old key and began to unlock the heavy, rusty shackles. He threw the nasty things at the foot of the bed and took the washcloth Rin had used on him earlier. Mindful to not touch him much, he started to wipe at the broken and bruised skin, trying to remove the days old caked blood.

Rin was appalled, not even registering the pain. "What are you doing?" He asked in a small voice.

"I am returning the favor." Haruka answered, looking at Rin's shocked and saddened face. "They hurt, right? You were in pain when you treated me."

Rin didn't answer, feeling tears collecting in his eyes as he watched how carefully Haruka cleaned them. It was not done perfectly and wherever the brunette touched he felt burned, but it was a relief of sorts to feel his hands free of their burden. He knew it was foolish of him, but he felt touched at the gesture. Yet at the same time he was affronted for being not considered enough of a threat. Haruka had to be so full of himself to play down their situation. "I can attack you." He was this close to whispering, as if sharing a secret.

"I can finish you before you even try." But Haruka's eyes and face were devoid of any ill intend, it was hard to feel offended.

"You underestimate me." Rin countered, searching the other's face.

"I never did so since the moment we met, Rin." He wiped and poured water over the wounds some more, rinsing the bloodied cloth in the basin. "Heal them."

It was lightning fast how Rin's soft and forlorn expression twisted into one of defiance. "I will not."

"Why?"

Rin didn't answer. He traced his broken skin with his finger tips and hoped against hope that Haruka would leave his hands like this. But his heart broke as soon as he saw what Haruka had in that neat parcel of his. Several sets of new, shiny, light weight shackles…

When he saw them, with all his might, with the very essence of his core, he wanted to crush this place to its smithereens. He wanted to destroy this place, leave Haruka in its shambles and run away instead of being chained down like this. The devastation that he was capable of would surely shorten his life after what happened would be found out and spread around, but at least he'd be free. He'd be hunted down again but until then, he'd be free.

He would do it, he really would, but he was not just his own person. He had the responsibility of so many on his shoulders, death was not an option for him. His frustration was so great that he didn't even realize that he was crying as Haruka locked the new chains on him. He bowed his head at his own powerlessness and at Haruka's cruelty, because the brunette had made it as if Rin was accepting his own captivity as he silently let Haruka reattach the shackles.

_Yeah, he is returning the favor…_

Haruka wasn't aware of his tears. He got up to crouch down in front of him and unlocked his feet, too. He gently washed the wounds, his rare touches burning Rin and making him cry harder in silence at the ironical sight that they presented.

Here he was a slave, his wounds being cleaned by someone of higher status who was kneeling in front of him as if he was the servant. Being shown kindness only to be chained down again... He had seen many cruel things as he had traveled from land to land, but Rin never knew that stripping someone of their freedom was something to be made a mockery of gentleness out of it, that it would feel as brutal as this.

When Haruka finished and snapped the silvery metals on his ankles, Rin quickly got up and scrambled towards their side of the room, to lie down and pretend to sleep, to get away from the brunette. But Haruka caught his arm, causing panic to take his heart over, making him gasp both in fear and pain that spread from his arm. Impulsively, he looked up, seeing how the other's blue eyes widened upon the horrible sight that he had to be presenting.

It angered Rin.

Haruka didn't get to be surprised at the sight of his misery after being the cause of it! He viciously shrugged the other's slackened hold and turned away again. "Stop this." He hissed, his voice dripping with the mental agony that he was going through. "Let me be."

After seeing those eyes, those tears, Haruka couldn't move. He just stood there, watching Rin go to the other side of the room as he wiped at his face furiously and wrapped the velvet cloth around himself as if he was trying to get into a cocoon. Rin lied down, his back to him and Haruka took a shaky breath, finally free of the hold the redhead had gotten him into. He looked at the rusty metal pieces on the floor and then at the fire crackling in the heart. The flames mocked him, laughed at him and he just stood there at a loss of what to do.

What the hell had he done this time?

* * *

The next day, Haruka disappeared from the room after he changed Aiichiro's chains and nobody uttered a single word. The atmosphere in the room had been so tense that Aiichiro's senses tingled with the intensity.

"Senpai, did something happen while I was sleeping?" He correctly guessed.

Rin poured them milk and set the breakfast tray more towards Aiichiro, as if he wasn't going to eat anything. "I am not going to give you that painkiller at nights, Ai, sorry."

"Why? Wha-…" Aiichiro eyes narrowed down with murderous intend. "Did he do something to you?"

Despite his sour mood, Rin smiled gently at Aiichiro's protectiveness. "No… He couldn't even if he wanted to. I am not some weak damsel, Ai, stop worrying."

Aiichiro pushed the tray subtly towards his elders as if to urge him eat a bit. "Then why? Why do you look so sleepless?"

Rin played with the crumbs of his bread, thinking. How could one explain that sense of powerlessness and desolation? Especially when he knew that Aiichiro would blame himself more than he already did when he found out the reason.

"It is just that… You being awake might be a deterrent of sorts…" He mumbled.

"Deterring what exactly?" Aiichiro feared the answer because he was aware how the brunette had been looking at Rin since they had first met. Those eyes were full of admiration and maybe something more.

"He says stupid things and I get mad easily." Rin explained, his eyes unable to meet his friend's. "If you are awake, he might feel less inclined to talk and I'd feel less inclined to destroy the place and blow our cover."

Aiichiro really wanted to ask more but Rin's behavior booked for no further argument. He let the redhead eat in peace even though Rin ate less than a few mouthfuls. He decided that disturbing the other with things he clearly didn't want to talk about was useless. Instead, he was going to observe the brunette.

Rin ate as much as he could and wrapped the turban that Makoto gave him on his head, even though he knew that he didn't need it. His presence was slowly making itself known. One had to be really sensitive to actually realize this but, the days were getting milder and the nights were getting chillier. Though in a desert, the difference was so miniscule that he had to stay at least for a month for ordinary people to realize it.

He left his friend to his breakfast and went down only to meet with that guy Haruka had told him to bring the ink and the pens, Yamaya. He saw neither Haruka nor Makoto around and shrugged to himself, following the older man out.

When they arrived at the inn, Rin met quite a number of people again. There were guys from yesterday, too. As Rin worked, time flew by. He finished checking everyone present and then just sat there, listening to the people talk about this or that. Unfortunately, nobody talked about anything of use for him. They were just chatting and Rin didn't want to single himself out by asking questions about their master to them. So he sat there and waited for somebody to pick him up because he was quite hungry by now even after eating the fruits that the men gave him.

He didn't have to wait for long, Haruka himself sauntered to the inn, his face covered sinisterly and without much preamble, ordered him to follow him. Rin undid his turban and wrapped the cloth around himself like a shawl to ward off the chill of the night.

They walked in silence. Rin was aware that his silence was childish but he had nothing to say to the other. The brunette was walking nearly side by side with him and it seemed to Rin that he was exerting conscious effort to look straight ahead. It secretly amused Rin, but he pointedly distracted himself by watching the passers-by, the town's people and the bazaar stands and vendors. Everything seemed the same, only the people were different. He couldn't even guess how many caravans were entering and exiting the city gates daily. It would have been so easy to escape had he been alone. But that was not an option. He had to wait for Aiichiro to get better and this city already knew who they were and what they had done.

As he thought about how they could escape once there were no obstacles, he gazed distractedly at the stands of janbiya and kilij sellers. He was instinctively drawn to them as he was in need of weapons now, feeling more vulnerable than ever now that his beloved daggers were gone. He ventured towards the edge of the road, closer to the stands, without actually meaning to. In a slow pace, he walked along the stands, inspecting the used and new weapons, all glittering under the oil lamps hanging above them.

Then he stopped.

His twin daggers were resting side by side on a used weapons stand in their blood red scabbards, golden hilts of the daggers shining brightly under the soft light. For a second, Rin looked at them with a slackened jaw, one shackled hand reaching for them impulsively. And as soon as he touched the nearest one, his hand was whipped cruelly, breaking him from his trance. When he looked up at the seller, his face twisted with ire. The merchant was one of the traders who bought all the stolen goods from the bandits that had kidnapped them.

"You fucking leech!" He yelled, reaching for the daggers yet again and getting whipped for it all the same.

"I don't have anything to sell to the slaves! Go away!" The merchant yelled back.

"So selling people was not enough, you even sell their belongings, you pillager!" Rin made it as if he was going to jump over the stand and tackle the merchant but his arm was caught by Haruka, a burning sensation immediately making him wince.

Fed up with the situation that he was in, he shrugged Haruka's hold ferociously with a yell of "Let me go!" and immediately went for the merchant's throat, catching the guy from the front of his shirt, dragging him over his stand towards the road.

"Selling robbed goods is so profitable, huh? Better than grave robbing, at least! What have you done with all those things you robbed from those innocent people?" He demanded again only to be manhandled back by Haruka and someone else who was taller than him. It was Mahir and his hold was very strong. Incensed and utterly frustrated of being treated like the scum, Rin struggled more, screaming accusations at the seller. "This man works with bandits and kidnappers! Everything he sells is robbed from the people the bandits kidnapped! Those are mine, the blades have jagged edges on their outer sides! They are unique!"

"Rin, calm down!" Haruka shook him from his arm, hurting him more without knowing. "Creating a scene helps no one!"

Only to stop the pain, Rin tried to control himself. "He is working for those bandits. Can't you see the things he sells? Those things are what remain from people like me whom they enslaved or even killed! These people kill and sell their own, Haruka!" He spoke as calmly as he could but his voice was this short from actually shouting. Trying to get away from Haruka's touch by drawing his shoulder in, Rin stepped back towards Mahir to escape from the pain. But for some reason, Haruka's eyes narrowed down further upon his attempt, holding onto him more firmly, tugging Rin back to himself forcefully.

For the life of him, Rin couldn't understand why Haruka couldn't see how right he was but his touch hurt too much to bear in his agitation. "Unhand me." Rin demanded, only for Haruka's ears, because the skin really smarted and started to pulse with a horrible sensation. Haruka suddenly seemed quite upset with him, but eventually he let him go. Rin covered his arm with his shawl, finally taking an easy breath, but he was still angry.

"Is that your slave?" The merchant asked Haruka with contempt, his whip at the ready in his hands. Two burly people came beside him, either his friends or his slaves.

"So what?" Haruka's souring mood was palpable as he turned and faced the merchant. Just then the city patrols came in, too, trying to disperse the curious onlookers who were observing the commotion that Rin created.

"Then keep a better eye on him, _Aga_!" He spat the honorific, aiming to rile Haruka up. "Chain down that vicious dog of yours better!"

"What did you say, you scum?!" Rin snarled and tried his hardest to shake off Mahir but another man came to Mahir's aid and he was practically hauled up from his feet after Haruka ordered them to take him back. Rin kicked and screamed, but eventually his voice died away.

Haruka turned towards the merchant, inspecting his smug face and considering.

"Is everything alright?" One of the patrols asked.

"Absolutely." Haruka answered. "We were in the middle of a transaction just a few minutes ago." The moment he finished his words, he drew one of the daggers, pretending to not hear the protests of the merchant and his men's grunts. He inspected the janbiya. It was quite an elegant one, actually fit for a prince. Its engraved hilt was made from a gold alloy, the hand guard was decorated with green stones and just as Rin had claimed, the outer edge of the blade had teeth like juts lined facing the hilt like a saw. It was really beautiful, fit for someone fierce like Rin.

"Name your price for these." He challenged the merchant, pointing the blade towards him.

The calm look in his eyes made everyone stop for a second before the merchant started to laugh. "As if you could buy them, ha ha ha!"

"Then take this." In the blink of an eye, as the merchant was still laughing, a pouch filled with gold pieces was stabbed on the earthen wall with Rin's dagger, just beside the merchant's head, shutting him up in fear.

The men immediately made it to attack Haruka but four men emerged from the crowd as if materializing from thin air, their daggers and kilij right under the necks of the merchant's men.

"Hey! Hey! What do you think you are doing! Hey!" The patrols surrounded them, too, making Haruka sigh in annoyance. He undid his turban, revealing his face. The patrols immediately drew away, looking apologetic. "Beyim, did they bother you?" One of them asked.

"No. He was just about to wrap those daggers for me." Haruka nodded to the men and the patrol guards were gone, forcing the crowd of people to disperse, too.

The merchant did as he was told, wrapping the daggers in a velvet cloth in fear before he gave them to one of Haruka's men. Haruka came closer to the stand. When he talked, he spoke in a calm and hushed voice, the look in his eyes was colder than ice deserts. "You are a lucky guy to be able to still breathe after harming and demeaning something that belongs to me, _Aga_. But if I see you around the next day, I might change my mind."

The merchant was as white as a sheet of paper as Haruka turned around and left the man to stand there stone still as if he had seen a ghost.

"His eyes glowed..." The merchant swallowed and murmured to himself, his voice slightly trembling. "His eyes glowed like gold..."

* * *

When Haruka returned, Makoto was inspecting the notebook that Rin had filled about the health condition of their men. He was sitting right beside the fountain, the table was covered with paperwork forgotten on the side in favor of Rin's notebook. The velvet covered parcel was there, too, brought by Haruka's men.

"You two have such sour looks tonight." Makoto smiled softly at his silently glowering friend. Haruka would seldom resort to violence or physically express his frustration when he was angry, but his passive aggressiveness would always be visible from a mile.

"Where is Rin?" Haruka took a seat beside Makoto.

Makoto poured him some tea. "He refused to eat anything and went up to your room." He watched how his friend's eyebrows creased together upon the news. "Even though he hasn't eaten since the morning..." He added for good measure to see how that effected Haruka and he saw what he was looking for. Haruka was worried, but he was quick to erase the feeling from his face and eyes.

"His choice." Haruka sighed in exasperation. "He created quite the commotion yet again."

"Sato and Mahir told me about it. He is a trouble maker, so I expected this much from him. He is like your ifreeths, unruly and rebellious."

Haruka _tched_ and turned his head away, still irritated. "The one in my room seems to be quite fond of him."

Makoto laughed at the news. "Really? Oh, good heavens!"

"Please stop, Makoto. It even mocked me last night, threatened me."

"Why?" Makoto was aware that sometimes ifreeths refused to listen Haruka's orders and even rebelled him, but this was both dangerous and completely unusual.

"It said if I continue mistreating him, it'll burn the house down."

"Eeeh? Mistreat? Haru, did you hurt him somehow?"

"Why would I do that? That night was a misunderstanding. He even healed the injury he had made." But he knew he was not completely telling the truth.

Haruka couldn't sleep well last night, the sight of the redhead's tears was so disturbing; but for the life of him, he didn't understand what made Rin cry like that. He hadn't said anything wrong, hadn't done anything that could be misconstrued. He'd even cleaned Rin's wounds for him. Though not many people were aware but he was a prince by all rights and he had cleaned a slave's feet, not that he'd done that to brag about it. He'd really wanted to ease the redhead's pain a bit, just like he'd done for him. But why...

"I don't understand him at all."

Makoto's eyes widened and his eyebrows rose in clear bewilderment upon the rare admission. He observed his friend's face, looking for a clue. "Haru, why did you buy him?"

"I don't know!" Haruka vengefully drank his tea, burning his tongue.

Makoto sighed, fully aware that Haruka knew the reason all too well but was currently blind to it. "Then let's remove the chains. I can't even guess when was the last time the poor guys had the chance to have a bath and wore clean clothes."

"No. The chains remain."

"Why?"

"I don't want to mark them."

"Mark Rin, you mean... You even bought Aiichiro for his sake."

Closing his eyes in irritated acceptance, Haruka conceded. "Yes."

"Isn't he your slave? Don't all your slaves bare their master's mark? Carrying around those chains and shackles has to be demeaning for someone with a pride like that."

"With such a pride, you think he'll feel alright about getting branded..." Haruka pinched the bridge of his nose. "But then again, he'll just erase it, Makoto." He put the tea cup back on its saucer a bit harshly than he intended and unwrapped the cloth around his shoulders to pull his shirt down his injured side, showing it to Makoto.

There was only a very small blemish left on Haruka's skin, Makoto's jaw going slack upon the sight. "Wow, that's..."

"Unbelievable, yes. Erasing a tattoo wouldn't be a problem for someone who could cure a possible collarbone fracture and a heavy bruise in just two days, leaving almost no trace behind."

Greatly impressed by Rin's ability, Makoto nodded, turning his eyes back to the open pages of Rin's notebook, thoughtful. Rin was an extraordinary man, it was for sure, but Haruka was even more so, too.

"Use those sun treads that your girls weave." He offered.

Haruka could see how the sun maidens Arinna weave life and fertility with the treads from the sun. He could use the sun rays, undo or redo the knots, tie things down and even let them flourish or destroy them with the treads, but he desisted from ever doing so. His existence was causing enough abnormalities as it was, who was he to decide what to live and what to die. The sun was as merciless as it could get in this barren continent; there was no need for his extra intervention when he couldn't use the rays properly.

"I don't trust myself with those things." He explained. "They feel like bird feathers in my hands, but..." _I can't control them properly..._

Makoto knew how his friend would have finished the words. "Then again, nothing guarantees that Rin won't try to escape even when he is in chains." He mused, which was quite correct. "Trying the treads is the best solution." He added, risking to be seen as heartless, playing the devil's advocate.

"I can do and undo the knots made by my Arinna, but I don't know how to undo it if I sew them myself."

Makoto sipped his tea, refilling Haruka's cup. He had witnessed how dangerous and devastating those treads could be if they were used wrong. At best, they scorched things to coal instead of giving life to them. When they were kids and Haruka had been newly awakened to his powers, Makoto had secretly mourned over many trees and flowers. Even though he knew Haruka had been hurting as much as himself for being unable to control his powers, Makoto couldn't help being sorry.

Arinna refused to teach Haruka how to govern them and they didn't know why.

He sighed softly and tried to disperse his dark thoughts. "But Rin will escape sooner or later. He'll find a way to get rid of those chains somehow and then he'll be a free man again. Then who'd believe that he used to be a slave?"

Haruka was aware of the inevitable, too. "I won't do that, Makoto." He finalized the argument.

The answer didn't surprise the green eyed male. Yet, he really wondered what could possibly stop a hurricane like Rin other than drastic measures like this. He futilely hoped that Rin would not test Haruka's resolve. And another question was how desperate Haruka could get if he was tested like that. He didn't want to think about it.

To change the subject, he indicated his head towards the documents that were laid out on the table. "I wrote our reply as you requested. I am going to send the letter tomorrow to inform that we accept the job."

"I hate Dain." Haruka played with the water in the fountain.

"You hate almost everywhere, Haru."

"It's in the desert."

"Aren't we already in the desert? And, think about it, it's close to Ingiria. You'll get to swim in the sea if we go to that country."

"In a roundabout way, yes." Haruka got up, collecting his shawl and turban. "I should return that to him." He pointed to the notebook and Makoto handed him that. "And that parcel. There are daggers inside it. Keep them among your things for me. I don't want any more weapons in the room."

Makoto nodded. Now that he knew the story behind the janbiya, his interest peaked. "Can I look at them?"

Haruka shrugged as an answer and left the green eyed male alone.

Makoto took the parcel and carefully unwrapped the cloth over the daggers and his eyebrows rose at them. The daggers were really well made and their hilts were made from a gold alloy that was quite expensive and rare to see. The décor on them looked like a coiling serpent with two tails, the tails forming the hand guards. There were stones engraved on the guards and though it was dark, Makoto could see that they were precious stones, most probably emeralds, but he wasn't sure. The blade was peculiar. He knew about custom made weapons, wrought according to the needs and likes of the customers but he had never seen something like this. He grabbed a dagger, tip of it pointing to his elbow and made a motion as if he was going to punch someone. _Wow... _He marveled at it. A wound made by the jagged outer side of the blades would simply destroy the tissue in an incurable way.

He inspected the intricately made scabbard and the hilt to find a clue about who could be the blacksmith that wrought such a beautiful thing, but all he could surmise was that the daggers were made in Shalbatana. Only their people made daggers with such subtle curves and width. The other cultures preferred heavily curved, nearly impractical single edged ones. These were double edged and very light.

He sighed. If only his grandfather or father were here. They were accomplished smiths, and Makoto was sure that one of them would know who was the maker of these. The daggers were really unique and beautiful, worthy of royalty. But he was truly astonished at the fact that someone like Rin claimed to own them.

That redhead was certainly more than what he looked and Makoto hoped that Haruka would not let his guard down around him.

* * *

_TBC..._

**Note:**_ Guys, of course I read your reviews :) Each and every one of them gives me reason to write more, even though I am horrible at giving you replies. Thanks for reading._


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